Painting, Bala Krishna, watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1850

Painting, in water colour on paper, with tin alloy details, Kalighat image of Bala Krishna, or Krishna in his childhood. The blue-skinned god is depicted playfully crouching against a pink bolster on a green throne. A distinctive crown of peacock feathers is on Krishna's head and his right arm is raised. A green fringed curtain or textile borders the top half of the painting which has a pale green background.

Bala Krishna, or Krishna in his childhood. The blue-skinned god is depicted playfully crouching against a pink bolster on a green throne. A distinctive crown of peacock feathers is on Krishna's head and his right arm is raised. A green fringed curtain or textile borders the top half of the painting which has a pale green background.

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 the local history, mythology, customs and conflics 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.

The painting was originally acquired from G. Wild, by the Department of Prints and Drawings in 1889.

RP 51/2237

D.664-1889