Painting in Bengal emerged as a popular medium of cultural expression. It developed in comparative independence from the conventions of temple art and free from the influences of a royal court. There is seen in the painted scrolls and `pats` of rural Bengal one of the few genuine folk traditions surviving down to the present century. In the villages of Bankura district, Birbhum district, 24 parganas and Burdwan district, one can still see the patuas (the makers of the pats) selling their pats. They sell these paintings at the various village fairs, and they are seen entertaining the unsophisticated rural audiences with their jarano patuas, literally meaning rolled paintings.

Pats are usually painted on paper of the cheapest variety, sometimes even on old newspapers. The jarano pats average 12 to 15 feet in length and are one or two feet wide. Apart from popular mythological stories, sometimes the theme is also a condemnation of social injustice ending with a picturisation of hell and of the evil doer being tortured in retribution. The pictures on the scrolls are arranged in rectangular panels, one below the other. The tradition is that as the scroll is gradually unfolded, the patua sings explanatory ditties which are most often composed by him.

The colours that are used by the patuas for the various pats are mostly primary colours- yellow, red and blue. Sometimes green and brown are also used all laid out in flat washes. Hot tones are always avoided. The overall effect is extremely quiet and serene. Some of the pats, especially the early Ramayana rolls, are reminiscent of the temple murals in colour and composition.

Kalighat Pats
The claim of the line drawing as a most powerful medium of expression is strongly seen in the works of the folk artists from Kalighat. They originally produced their paintings for mass-sale to the pilgrims who were seen thronging the Kali temple. The eighteenth century and early nineteenth century were the golden age of the Kalighat artist. The entire family of the painter used to participate in the execution of a painting. It was seen that even the ladies were as dexterous as the men.

Originally the Kalighat patuas worked on religious subjects. Later they grew increasingly antagonistic to the English and French artists of the day. Consequently, the Kalighat patua made his art a powerful instrument of satire to mock westernization. Later on, the Kalighat patua art was even distorted to an extent in order to cater to the needs of the new aristocrats of 19th century Kolkata. By the end of the century, the imported lithographs from Germany led to the gradual decline of the patuas.