Kalighat painting - Revision history

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	==History==		==History==
	<gallery widths="~~200px~~" heights="~~200px~~">		<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
	The demon ravana fighting with the ape hanuman, 1880, kalighat school.jpg\|[[Ravana]] and [[Hanuman]], Kalighat school of painting, {{circa\|1880}}		File:The demon ravana fighting with the ape hanuman, 1880, kalighat school.jpg\|[[Ravana]] and [[Hanuman]], Kalighat school of painting, {{circa\|1880}}
	Kalighat Ganesha in the lap of Parvati.jpg\|Ganesha in the lap of Parvati		File:Kalighat Ganesha in the lap of Parvati.jpg\|Ganesha in the lap of Parvati
	The goddess durga on her lion kills the demon mahishasura, 1880, kalighat school.jpg\|[[Durga]] and [[Mahishasura]], {{circa\|1880}}		File:The goddess durga on her lion kills the demon mahishasura, 1880, kalighat school.jpg\|[[Durga]] and [[Mahishasura]], {{circa\|1880}}
			File:Untitled (Cat Stealing Prawn).jpg\|Cat Stealing Prawn
			File:Kalighat pat (Anonymous).jpg\|Kalighat pat (Anonymous)
	</gallery>		</gallery>
	In the 19th century, the only school of painting that was flourishing in Bengal was the traditional art of scroll paintings that was popular in the rural areas. These paintings were done on cloth or patas.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/amp/west-bengal/%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AA-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%98-%E0%A6%9F-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AD-%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%AF-1.95100\|title=মেদিনীপুরের হাতে কালীঘাটের পটভাগ্য\|language=Bengali\|access-date=7 August 2021\|website=Anandabazar Patrika}}</ref> They depicted conventional images of gods and goddesses and scenes from epics like Tulsidas’ ''Rama Charita Manas''. The artists were villagers who travelled from place to place with their scroll paintings and sang the scenes from the epics depicted in the paintings during village gatherings and various festivals. These artists, called ''patuas'' or ‘painters on cloth’.		In the 19th century, the only school of painting that was flourishing in Bengal was the traditional art of scroll paintings that was popular in the rural areas. These paintings were done on cloth or patas.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/amp/west-bengal/%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AA-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%98-%E0%A6%9F-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AD-%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%AF-1.95100\|title=মেদিনীপুরের হাতে কালীঘাটের পটভাগ্য\|language=Bengali\|access-date=7 August 2021\|website=Anandabazar Patrika}}</ref> They depicted conventional images of gods and goddesses and scenes from epics like Tulsidas’ ''Rama Charita Manas''. The artists were villagers who travelled from place to place with their scroll paintings and sang the scenes from the epics depicted in the paintings during village gatherings and various festivals. These artists, called ''patuas'' or ‘painters on cloth’.

	===The British: as patrons of this art===		===The British: as patrons of this art===

	[[File:Kalighat Temple, 1887.jpg\|200px\|thumb\|left\|[[Kalighat]], Kolkata- shown with the [[Kalighat Temple]] and the river, [[Adi Ganga]]]]		[[File:Kalighat Temple, 1887.jpg\|200px\|thumb\|left\|[[Kalighat]], Kolkata- shown with the [[Kalighat Temple]] and the river, [[Adi Ganga]]]]

	Meanwhile, the British, having established themselves in the country politically started to evince interest in art, literature, and music. They set up institutions that imparted a European style of academic training to Indian artists. The Calcutta School of Art was one such school and attracted traditional artists–the patuas—to the city.		Meanwhile, the British, having established themselves in the country politically started to evince interest in art, literature, and music. They set up institutions that imparted a European style of academic training to Indian artists. The Calcutta School of Art was one such school and attracted traditional artists–the patuas—to the city.

->Wiki-uk at 06:44, 21 September 2021

2021-09-21T06:44:16Z

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{{Short description|School of Indian painting}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2020}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
[[File:India, Calcutta, Kalighat painting, 19th century - Barber Cleaning a Woman's Ear - 2003.117 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|thumb|200px|''Barber Cleaning a Woman's Ear'', 19th-century]]

'''Kalighat painting''' or '''Kalighat Pat''' (Bengali: ''[[:bn:কালীঘাট পটচিত্র|কালীঘাট পটচিত্র]]'') originated in the 19th century in [[West Bengal, India]], in the vicinity of [[Kalighat Kali Temple]], [[Kalighat]], [[Calcutta]],<ref>[https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Kalighat_Painting Kalighat Painting: Banglapedia] ''en.banglapedia.org''. Retrieved 7 August 2021</ref> and from being items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of [[Indian painting]].<ref>[https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-kalighat-paintings-in-kolkata-india/?amp=1 A brief history of Kalighat paintings in Kolkata, India] ''theculturetrip.com''. Retrieved 7 August 2021</ref> From the depiction of Hindu gods, [[Hindu goddess|god]], and other [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of subjects, including many depictions of everyday life.<ref>[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/amp/articles/history-of-kalighat-paintings The history of Kalighat paintings] ''www.lonelyplanet.com''. Retrieved 7 August 2021</ref>

==History==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
The demon ravana fighting with the ape hanuman, 1880, kalighat school.jpg|[[Ravana]] and [[Hanuman]], Kalighat school of painting, {{circa|1880}}
Kalighat Ganesha in the lap of Parvati.jpg|Ganesha in the lap of Parvati
The goddess durga on her lion kills the demon mahishasura, 1880, kalighat school.jpg|[[Durga]] and [[Mahishasura]], {{circa|1880}}
</gallery>
In the 19th century, the only school of painting that was flourishing in Bengal was the traditional art of scroll paintings that was popular in the rural areas. These paintings were done on cloth or patas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/amp/west-bengal/%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AA-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%98-%E0%A6%9F-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AD-%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%AF-1.95100|title=মেদিনীপুরের হাতে কালীঘাটের পটভাগ্য|language=Bengali|access-date=7 August 2021|website=Anandabazar Patrika}}</ref> They depicted conventional images of gods and goddesses and scenes from epics like Tulsidas’ ''Rama Charita Manas''. The artists were villagers who travelled from place to place with their scroll paintings and sang the scenes from the epics depicted in the paintings during village gatherings and various festivals. These artists, called ''patuas'' or ‘painters on cloth’.

===The British: as patrons of this art===
[[File:Kalighat Temple, 1887.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Kalighat]], Kolkata- shown with the [[Kalighat Temple]] and the river, [[Adi Ganga]]]]
Meanwhile, the British, having established themselves in the country politically started to evince interest in art, literature, and music. They set up institutions that imparted a European style of academic training to Indian artists. The Calcutta School of Art was one such school and attracted traditional artists–the patuas—to the city.

Initially, these artists were concentrated around the temple at Kalighat where there was a demand for religious art. Gradually, they have started to learn from the newer techniques and discovered that these could help them increase their earnings. They started creating new forms of art and the Kalighat painting was born.

===Oriental and Occidental Kalighat===

Another theme depicted, dear to the Bengali ethos, was that of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his disciples. But the Kalighat artists did not restrict themselves to religious themes. Their paintings depicting different professions and costumes were also popular with tourists. Even contemporary events like crime were the subject of many paintings. The artists also chose to portray secular themes and personalities and in the process played a role in the Independence movement. They painted historic characters like Rani Lakshmibai, and Duldul the famous horse of Imam Hussain of Karbala.

==Capturing daily life==
An important achievement of the Kalighat artists was that they made simple paintings and drawings, which 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. The charm of the Kalighat paintings lies in the fact that they captured the essence of daily life and they influence modern artists like the late [[Jamini Roy]] even to this day.
{{Culture of Bengal}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=A history of Indian painting: the modern period|last=Chaitanya|first=Krishna|publisher=Abhinav Publications|year=1994|location=New Delhi|pages=112–118|isbn=978-81-7017-310-6}}
*''Kalighat Paintings'' {{ISBN|81-7436-135-9}}, by Aditi Nath Sarkar and Christine Mackay
*''Kalighat Painting: Images from a Changing World'' (Ahmedabad and Middleton, NJ, 1999)
*{{cite book |author=Kossak, Steven | title= ''Indian court painting, 16th-19th century.'' | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1997| isbn=0870997831 | url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/rec/74}} (see index: p. 148-152)

==See also==
*[[Indian painting]]
*[[Madhubani painting]]
*[[Mughal painting]]
*[[Rajput painting]]
*[[Tarakeswar affair]]: a common theme in the paintings

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://showroom.craftandartisans.com/products/kalighat.html Kalighat Paintings of West Bengal]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{cite book |last=Som |first=Sovon |year=2012 |chapter=Kalighat Painting |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Kalighat_Painting |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}
*[http://www.chitralekha.org/kalighatpainters.htm Drawings and Paintings of Kalighat by Mukul Dey]
* [http://ngmaindia.gov.in/sh-kali-painting.asp Showcase: Kalighat painting] at [[National Gallery of Modern Art]]
*[http://www.chitralekha.org/articles/mukul-dey/painters-kalighat-19th-century-relics-once-flourishing-indian-folk-art-industry-k The Painters of Kalighat: 19th Century Relics of a Once Flourishing Indian Folk Art Killed by Western Mass Production Methods by Mukul Dey]

{{Culture of West Bengal}}

[[Category:19th century in art]]
[[Category:Schools of Indian painting]]
[[Category:Bengali culture]]
[[Category:Culture of Kolkata]]
[[Category:Bengal Patachitra]]
[[Category:Indian folk art]]