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Bhima and Duryodhana

Painting
ca. 1885 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Kolkata (made)

Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers is shown fighting Duryodhana, eldest son of King Dhritarashtra, in a duel with clubs.

Object details

Categories
Paintings
Hinduism
Myths & Legends
Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type
Painting
TitleBhima and Duryodhana (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Opaque Watercolour
Paint
Paper
Painted
Brief description
Painting, Bhima and Duryodhana fighting with clubs, opaque watercolour on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1885
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers is shown fighting Duryodhana, eldest son of King Dhritarashtra, in a duel with clubs.
Dimensions
  • Height: 20in
  • Width: 13in
Content description
Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers, is shown fighting Duryodhana, eldest son of King Dhritarashtra, in a duel with clubs.
Style
Kalighat Painting
Marks and inscriptions
(handwritten on object)
Translation
'the destruction of Duryodhana'
Transliteration
'duryodhanabadha'
Object history
Acquired from Miss M Steele, being part of a collection inherited from her mother

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 brushstrokes that became the hallmark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century.
Subjects depicted
Fighting
Clubs
Bhima
Bibliographic reference
Archer, W G: 'Kalighat Paintings', V&A, 1971, p71, 25lii
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.585-1950

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Record createdJanuary 13, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72877/bhima-and-duryodhana-painting-unknown/
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