Kalighat Painting
Kalighat Painting originated in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple, Kalighat (Kolkata, India) in 19th century. Kalighat temple was considered the main centre around which the traditional artists called ‘the pataus’ or ‘painters of cloth’ concentrated. Later academic training institutions were set up in Bengal imparting European style of art for the Indian artists by British patrons. This induced the traditional artists to move from rural areas to the city. They started learning from the newer techniques. They also created innovative and new art forms. This eventually led to the birth of Kalighat painting.
Special Features
- Kalighat School was a unique and delightful Blend of the Oriental and the Occidental styles of painting. Due to this exceptional combination, it gained steady acknowledgment.
- The artists played an important role in the Independence movement through the depiction of secular themes and personalities in their paintings.
- Paintings apart from depicting religious themes also portrayed different professions and costumes which were popular among the tourists. Sometimes, even contemporary events like crime were the subject of many paintings.
- Images of goddess were popular among Kalighat artists. Kali was the favourite goddess among all deities. The artists also portrayed themes like Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna and the exploits of Hanuman. Another theme depicted, dear to the Bengali ethos, was that of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his disciples.
- The simple paintings and drawings of the Kalighat artists could easily be reproduced by lithography. Such prints were then hand coloured. This trend continued up to the early part of the twentieth century and these paintings ended up in museums and private collections. This was considered as one of their significant accomplishment. They captured the essence of daily life which influenced many modern artists.
