A truly monumental piece of art, 100 feet long and comprised of 21 panels, is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The piece is called “Paradise Lost,” and was painted by artist Raqib Shaw, who was born in the Kashmir region of India.

Madhuvanti Ghose, one of the museum’s curators, said the monumental work has attracted monumental crowds.

“You’ll see people stacked in front of it, there’s a collective viewing happened,” she said. “It’s really a community viewing of people looking at ‘Paradise Lost,’ it’s really something.”

Ghose said the work tells the story of the artist, starting with his upbringing in Kashmir.

“It’s his own commentary, growing up in the ’80s, which leads him to leaving,” she said.

Every inch was created with automobile paint and incorporate Shaw’s unique style. And despite its size, the painting is dense with tiny details like faces in the waves of the ocean.

“It’s miniscule on levels you can’t imagine, especially when you see how grand it is,” Ghose said.

But that’s the point: to make you focus on the small stuff.

“We have so many influences, so many things distracting us; how much do we look, then look again, and appreciate that moment that you take,” she said.  “He can make you look at the details, but at the end of the day he just wants you to pause and look at something of beauty.”

“Paradise Lost” will be on display at the Art Institute into 2026.

More from CBS News