Untitled (Varanasi)

In 1960 Ram Kumar visited Benares for the first time and was deeply affected and inspired by the landscape of the Holy City. It is also at this stage that he began to abandon figurative painting in favor of landscapes. He explains, '"Why Benares and not some place else?" It was at that point in my life, I happened to visit Benares and it was all there before me... Benares' uniqueness lies in its age-old associations and the faith of millions. During my several visits to this city, my effort has been to fathom a little of its mysterious depths which I could interpret in my paintings.'(As quoted in, G. Gill, Ed., Ram Kumar: A Journey Within, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, 1996, p.191)
Typical of Kumar's paintings of Benares during this period, this work is heavily impastoed in monochromatic palette. The colors are somber and, purposefully, never completely assume the knowledge of what the city is made of while the bold architectural lines here dissolve into black.