Painting thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

ca. 1855 - ca. 1860 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The temple of Kali had been built at Kalighat in the seventeenth century at the location where Sati's toes were supposed to have fallen, a 'Pithasthan', on the east bank of the 'Adi-Ganga', an original course of the Ganges. The present temple was completed in 1809 and rapidly became a place of pilgrimage. It became customary for pilgrims to visit the Kalighat temple throughout the year. Its location, south of Calcutta, encouraged a small settlement to grow up. Eventually a brisk trade developed at Kalighat in pilgrims' souvenirs such as wooden dolls and terracotta figures. In the early 19th century 'patuas' (folk painters) were drawn from the surrounding areas into the city. They situated themselves around the temple producing souvenirs of watercolour 'patas' (pictures) depicting mainly religious and mythological subjects. Over time the local style developed and the subject matter grew to include social satire and study in natural history. As a popular art form, the Kalighat artists are recognised for their brilliant colours, simplified images and bold brushstrokes. This style of painting fell into decline in the 1930s, however a few artists have revived the tradition and continue to produce paintings reflecting contemporary themes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper
Brief description
Painting, Saraswati, opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, India, ca. 1855-1860
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, depicting Saraswati.
Dimensions
  • Height: 431mm (maximum)
  • Width: 277mm (maximum)
  • Card onto which object mounted height: 445mm
  • Card onto which object mounted width: 294mm
15/05/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013; object irregular in shape.
Content description
Saraswati.
Style
Credit line
Given by Rudyard Kipling Esq., Bateman's, Burwash, Sussex
Object history
Part of an album, containing 196 prints, paintings and pen and pencil drawings together with 37 loose pages of paintings, calligraphic drawings, and outline pen drawings. The album was collected by late J. Lockwood Kipling between 1865 and 1893. He was Principal of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore from 1875 until his retirement in 1893. The album was presented to the Museum by his son Rudyard Kipling in 1917.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The temple of Kali had been built at Kalighat in the seventeenth century at the location where Sati's toes were supposed to have fallen, a 'Pithasthan', on the east bank of the 'Adi-Ganga', an original course of the Ganges. The present temple was completed in 1809 and rapidly became a place of pilgrimage. It became customary for pilgrims to visit the Kalighat temple throughout the year. Its location, south of Calcutta, encouraged a small settlement to grow up. Eventually a brisk trade developed at Kalighat in pilgrims' souvenirs such as wooden dolls and terracotta figures. In the early 19th century 'patuas' (folk painters) were drawn from the surrounding areas into the city. They situated themselves around the temple producing souvenirs of watercolour 'patas' (pictures) depicting mainly religious and mythological subjects. Over time the local style developed and the subject matter grew to include social satire and study in natural history. As a popular art form, the Kalighat artists are recognised for their brilliant colours, simplified images and bold brushstrokes. This style of painting fell into decline in the 1930s, however a few artists have revived the tradition and continue to produce paintings reflecting contemporary themes.
Bibliographic reference
Bryant, Julius and Weber, Susan, John Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London Newhaven: Yale University Press, 2017 p. 316, fig. 11.16 and p. 537, cat. no. 119
Collection
Accession number
IM.2:77-1917

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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