INDIA, KOLKATA, 19TH CENTURY

Kalighat paintings originated in the 19th century as a souvenir item associated with the Kalighat temple in Kolkata and gradually transformed into a distinguished school of painting of their own. They are characterized by fields of bold watercolors, applied onto paper in loose and wide brushstrokes. The figures are modeled with simple shadows into gently rounded forms, their faces with elongated eyes, against flat backgrounds. Though their subjects can be either religious or secular, the paintings of Hindu icons are timeless, and the present example is rare for its exceptionally large size.