Howrah Bridge exercises its magnetic pull on artists of new generation

The wrestling fences, the orderly commotion around the bridge, among other activities make it a perfect subject

Artist Jogen Chowdhury, known for works that blend urban consciousness and Bengali influence, recalls his brush with Howrah Bridge some three decades ago. He had been asked to make a sketch to depict Kolkata for The Illustrated Weekly of India. Chowdhury knew it would have to be Howrah Bridge, but there wasn’t enough time to acquaint himself with the details of the structure. So he recreated the icon from memory. In any case, says Chowdhury, an accurate depiction of Howrah Bridge would be a somewhat unrealistic task. “There are thousands of nut and bolts, it would take years to capture