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Lot Essay
The first work depicting Shiva seated on his vehicle, Nandi, is a common subject in Kalighat painting. Shiva is shown with his characteristic attributes of a drinking horn, a tiger loincloth, and three cobras wrapped around his body.
The second work depicts the goddess Kali being worshipped by a man and woman. Legend states that, as a disguise, Krishna would transform himself into the goddess to prevent Radha's husband Ayanaghosha from discovering the two lovers. Radha and Ayanaghosha are then shown worshipping Kali.
Both the paintings appear to be from the same album, as the pictorial style and technical attributes are similar. Both use silver paint to highlight ornaments, important areas of the body and certain emblems. As Jyotindra Jain explains, this custom may have arisen from the need to offer "precious ornaments and gleaming clothing to deities as part of shringar." Since Kalighat paintings were usually quite inexpensive to produce, this would make them more worthy of being offered to the gods. (Jyotindra Jain, Kalighat Painting, Images from a Changing World, Ahmedabad, 1999, p. 191)
For similar images, see, p. 73, fig. 65 and p. 87, fig. 86.
The second work depicts the goddess Kali being worshipped by a man and woman. Legend states that, as a disguise, Krishna would transform himself into the goddess to prevent Radha's husband Ayanaghosha from discovering the two lovers. Radha and Ayanaghosha are then shown worshipping Kali.
Both the paintings appear to be from the same album, as the pictorial style and technical attributes are similar. Both use silver paint to highlight ornaments, important areas of the body and certain emblems. As Jyotindra Jain explains, this custom may have arisen from the need to offer "precious ornaments and gleaming clothing to deities as part of shringar." Since Kalighat paintings were usually quite inexpensive to produce, this would make them more worthy of being offered to the gods. (Jyotindra Jain, Kalighat Painting, Images from a Changing World, Ahmedabad, 1999, p. 191)
For similar images, see, p. 73, fig. 65 and p. 87, fig. 86.