Snakes Praying [to] the Sun

In this striking painting that reads as a celebration of nature, Gopal Saha includes a deeply personal experience—that of a dream he had. The exact nature of his dream is not known, and the reference to the event comes from a brief archival note. Clearly discernible in this painting, however, is that the force of nature and the semidivine snakes and serpents (nagas), who dwell in rivers, forests, and dense vegetation, are subjects that hold personal resonance for the artist.

The painting’s frame barely seems to contain the power of the massive tree with its lush canopy of leaves and branches. Snakes twine around the branches and rise boldly from the underbrush as though trying to reach the sun or pay homage to it. Surya, the sun god, plays an important role in devotional practice of Mithila, and perhaps the image of the sun here refers to the deity.