Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma (centre) at the launch of The Art of Bengal. Picture by Rashbehari Das

It’s not often that the launch of an art book turns into a high-profile affair, but that was what happened at the launch of The Art of Bengal, a 464-page book of scholarly essays and 400 documented plates of art with writings by Ina Puri, Paula Sengupta and Sanjoy Kumar Mallik.

The book was unveiled by santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma at ITC Sonar on Tuesday, presented by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation and attended by author Kunal Basu and Aparna Sen, among others. “When Ina called me to release a book on art, I wondered ‘why me?’ at first, but I had to agree. I’ve had a very long association with Bengal that goes back half a century and Ina was the first one to write my biography,” said Pandit Sharma. “I realise that all arts are interconnected. Like I use the hammer on strings, artists use their paintbrush. I glanced through the book and it is a very exhaustive piece of work.”

The project, commissioned by the Delhi Art Gallery, is divided into different sections that trace art and artists from the late 18th century to 2010. Curator Puri, who has chronicled Bengal’s art scene between 1947 and 2000 for the book, said: “It was a very rich period, featuring important painters like Lalu Prasad Shaw, Partha Pratim Deb, Isha Mohammad and Chittravanu Majumdar. It was also a period peaking in theatre, film and music, which I’ve tried to highlight to portray the range of art practised in Bengal.”

Priced Rs 9,000, the book will be available at select bookstores by the end of the month, followed by a two-week exhibition starting April 4, when 200 works of art that appear on the pages of the book will be on display at The Harrington Street Arts Centre in Calcutta.