Italian artist Giampaolo Tomassetti presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a painting of the ghats of Varanasi during the Prime Minister’s official visit to Italy.
The colourful artwork depicted the sacred Ganga riverfront in Kashi, featuring boats and the iconic ghats associated with the spiritual city.
Photographs shared on social media showed PM Modi standing alongside the artist beside the large painting.
PM Modi praised Tomassetti’s deep connection with Indian culture and highlighted his artistic journey spanning more than four decades. He noted that the Italian artist began illustrating books on Vedic culture in the 1980s and later created 23 large-scale paintings inspired by the Mahabharata.
A glimpse of Kashi in Rome!
Mr. Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter, presented his work on Varanasi. His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades. In the 1980’s he started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture. From 2008 to 2013 he worked on 23 large… pic.twitter.com/tYfLPb8ubC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2026
Tomassetti gained recognition for his collection of oil paintings based on the ancient Indian epic. He developed an interest in the Mahabharata during his teenage years after watching Peter Brook’s theatrical adaptation.
Tomassetti later spent years studying the text before dedicating more than a decade to painting scenes from the epic. His works include depictions of Krishna as Arjuna’s charioteer, Draupadi’s disrobing episode, and the escape of Arjuna and Subhadra.
Tomassetti also painted battle scenes, moments from Dwarka and detailed mythological landscapes inspired by Indian traditions.
PM Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday for the final leg of his five-nation tour and received a warm welcome from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The leaders later attended a dinner meeting and visited the Colosseum.
During the visit, PM Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Meloni and meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The leaders are expected to adopt a joint declaration to strengthen the India-Italy strategic partnership.
Also Read: PM Modi Praises Italian Artistes For Performing Indian Classical Music In Rome
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