Nabin and Elokeshi thumbnail 1
Nabin and Elokeshi thumbnail 2
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Nabin and Elokeshi

Drawing
ca. 1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Drawing, paint on paper, depicting an episode of the Tarakeshwar affair. Nabin and his wife Elokeshi embracing. Elokeshi is shown with her arms around her husband's neck protesting her innocence as Nabin forgives her.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Nabin and Elokeshi (generic title)
  • Tarakeshwar affair (series title)
Materials and techniques
Drawn in black paint on paper
Brief description
Drawing, Nabin and Elokeshi reconciled, by Nibran Chandra Ghosh, paint on paper, Kolkata, ca. 1880
Physical description
Drawing, paint on paper, depicting an episode of the Tarakeshwar affair. Nabin and his wife Elokeshi embracing. Elokeshi is shown with her arms around her husband's neck protesting her innocence as Nabin forgives her.
Dimensions
  • Height: 505mm (maximum)
  • Width: 280mm (maximum)
07/08/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013.
Content description
Nabin and his wife Elokeshi embracing. Elokeshi is shown with her arms around her husband's neck protesting her innocence as Nabin forgives her.
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Credit line
Given by W.G. Archer.
Object history
The Tarakeshwar murder case of 1873 was a public scandal in Calcutta based on an affair between Elokeshi the young attractive wife of Nabinchandra Banerji and the mahant or chief priest of the Shiva temple at Tarakeshwar. Upon discovery of the affair, on 27 May 1873 her jealous husband Nabinchandra Banerji cut Elokeshi's throat with a fish knife. In the trial that followed Nabin was sentenced to life imprisonment and the Mahant was fined and imprisoned for 3 years. Different variations of this affair favouring the various characters occur in several Bengali plays and Kalighat images between 1875-80. See Archer p12.

Historical significance: Calcutta was recognised as the Capital of British India from 1833-1912.By the 1830s, artists had arrived from rural villages in Bengal and began to produce paintings that reflected local history, mythology, customs and conflicts of a colonised society. As a popular art form, these artists are recognised for their use of brilliant colour, simplified images and swift brush strokes that became the hallmark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century.
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic references
  • Jain, J (1999) 'Kalighat Painting: Images from a Changing World', Ahmedabad, Mapin.
  • Kalighat paintings : a catalogue and introduction / by W.G. Archer. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1971 Number: 0112900291 : pl. 34, cat. no. 18,iii: p. 62.
  • Archer, W.G., Bazaar Paintings of Calcutta, Victoria & Albert Museum, H.M.S.O., 1955 p. 24, fig.36
Collection
Accession number
IS.24-1952

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Record createdDecember 4, 2002
Record URL
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