PM Narendra Modi receives Varanasi painting from Italian artist Tomassetti

Italian painter Giampaolo Tomassetti presented a vibrant mixed‑media painting of the Varanasi ghats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Indian leader’s visit to Rome on May 20, 2026. Tomassetti described the work, titled “Holy Varanasi,” as a bridge between his Italian artistic vision and India’s colourful culture, saying, “I told him that this painting was meant to show a bridge between the vision of an Italian artist and colourful India, and he appreciated that.”

Modi praised the decades‑long passion the artist has shown for Indian heritage, posting on X: “A glimpse of Kashi in Rome! Mr Giampaolo Tomassetti… his passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades.” The presentation was framed as a symbol of cultural friendship between India and Italy, highlighting the artist’s long study of Indian epics such as the Mahabharata and his numerous related works.