Kalidas comes to India Gate
7 May 2012 1:42 PM GMT
Fame and recognition came posthumously for Kalighat paintings. The first serious appraisal of this folk art happened in 1926, when critic Ajit Ghose eulogised Patachitra in his seminal report that appeared in an Indian art journal — Rupam. He declared that the genius of these artists ‘had anticipated by a century or more
Cubism and Impressionism.’
Ghose extends his argument by mentioning that, ‘there is an exquisite freshness and spontaneity of conception and execution in these old brush drawings'. Â
Similarity with Europe’s modern art was detected also in the scroll paintings of rural Bengal and had an archaic simplicity with their largeness of style, their amazing boldness and the dramatic effects which were achieved by their summary simplifications.’
Now you can get a taste of the ‘pop art’ in the city. The National Gallery of Modern Art, in association with Victoria & Albert Museum, is hosting an exhibition of paintings on the Kalighat patuas.
The patuas, who had migrated to Kolkata, with its burgeoning population and myriad cultures, were starting to affiliate themselves with the Chitrakar clan (denoting the artists). Originally they painted on large flowing scrolls of parchment known as pattas that were joined-up sections usually made out of palm leaves or bamboo pulp. These would often run upto 20 feet or more in length. Almost as in the case of the itinerant Kavadiya artists, these too would unfold a long narrative pertaining to mythology, folklore or popular culture.
Ironically these artisans were unconcerned with such artistic affectations. No evidence was found of their inclination to seek fame in posterity. It was a matter of earning their daily bread.
Sadly, the centre for such art was concentrated around the holy pilgrimage of Kalighat in Calcutta and the regular visitors were the impoverished, local temple-goers who were unable to put themselves within the circumference of the affluent, influential patrons of art.
The wealthier, more educated sections of Calcutta, still struggling under their newly acquired nouveau riche status, dismissed these paintings as ‘cheap, ephemeral and simply not good enough.’ The British, too, considered this to be the ‘art of the heathen people’, creations of depravity by sullen men, half devil, half child’.
The transient urban population of the city demanded a variety in the art that was on offer. This compelled the patuas to ‘abandon their linear narrative in favour of a single picture involving one or two figures’, writes Susahini Sinha in her essay Origins of Kalighat Painting.
Sinha goes on to add, ‘this simple exercise of paring down composition, line and colour created the key characteristics of the Kalighat genre and enabled the patuas to rapidly increase their productivity.’
In its nascent stage there were several factors that were steadily influencing the growth of this art in Calcutta — the prevailing social conditions, the people for whom they were being made and the background of the artists. Pulsating with emotions and aspirations and circumscribed by a familiar sense of inheritance of aesthetics, these paintings reflected its contemporaries with great fidelity.
Balraj Khanna mentions in his book titled Kalighat - Indian Popular Painting 1800-1930 that ‘the Kalighat style did not emerge as a quirk of history. There were dominant visual themes that reflected on the socio-cultural themes of the times’.
Disarmingly bold in form and content, these paintings were often mythological representations of the great Hindu epics — The Mahabharata and The Ramayana, with regular depictions of the popular lore of the Krishna Leela.
The rapidly changing urban society of 19th century Calcutta gave rise to more secular themes in these paintings — matters of socio-political satire, crimes of lust, and the Babu culture found mention. The rise of the nouveau riche Bengali man, amused by the Western affectations of manner and gait, found particular critique through mockery and satire in these paintings.
A satirical caricature emerged out of the patua’s brush, that of a foppish male figure, complete with a mix of Bengali and Western attributes and mannerisms.’
These works generated considerable intrigue in the Western travellers.
Cubism and Impressionism.’
Ghose extends his argument by mentioning that, ‘there is an exquisite freshness and spontaneity of conception and execution in these old brush drawings'. Â
Similarity with Europe’s modern art was detected also in the scroll paintings of rural Bengal and had an archaic simplicity with their largeness of style, their amazing boldness and the dramatic effects which were achieved by their summary simplifications.’
Now you can get a taste of the ‘pop art’ in the city. The National Gallery of Modern Art, in association with Victoria & Albert Museum, is hosting an exhibition of paintings on the Kalighat patuas.
The patuas, who had migrated to Kolkata, with its burgeoning population and myriad cultures, were starting to affiliate themselves with the Chitrakar clan (denoting the artists). Originally they painted on large flowing scrolls of parchment known as pattas that were joined-up sections usually made out of palm leaves or bamboo pulp. These would often run upto 20 feet or more in length. Almost as in the case of the itinerant Kavadiya artists, these too would unfold a long narrative pertaining to mythology, folklore or popular culture.
Ironically these artisans were unconcerned with such artistic affectations. No evidence was found of their inclination to seek fame in posterity. It was a matter of earning their daily bread.
Sadly, the centre for such art was concentrated around the holy pilgrimage of Kalighat in Calcutta and the regular visitors were the impoverished, local temple-goers who were unable to put themselves within the circumference of the affluent, influential patrons of art.
The wealthier, more educated sections of Calcutta, still struggling under their newly acquired nouveau riche status, dismissed these paintings as ‘cheap, ephemeral and simply not good enough.’ The British, too, considered this to be the ‘art of the heathen people’, creations of depravity by sullen men, half devil, half child’.
The transient urban population of the city demanded a variety in the art that was on offer. This compelled the patuas to ‘abandon their linear narrative in favour of a single picture involving one or two figures’, writes Susahini Sinha in her essay Origins of Kalighat Painting.
Sinha goes on to add, ‘this simple exercise of paring down composition, line and colour created the key characteristics of the Kalighat genre and enabled the patuas to rapidly increase their productivity.’
In its nascent stage there were several factors that were steadily influencing the growth of this art in Calcutta — the prevailing social conditions, the people for whom they were being made and the background of the artists. Pulsating with emotions and aspirations and circumscribed by a familiar sense of inheritance of aesthetics, these paintings reflected its contemporaries with great fidelity.
Balraj Khanna mentions in his book titled Kalighat - Indian Popular Painting 1800-1930 that ‘the Kalighat style did not emerge as a quirk of history. There were dominant visual themes that reflected on the socio-cultural themes of the times’.
Disarmingly bold in form and content, these paintings were often mythological representations of the great Hindu epics — The Mahabharata and The Ramayana, with regular depictions of the popular lore of the Krishna Leela.
The rapidly changing urban society of 19th century Calcutta gave rise to more secular themes in these paintings — matters of socio-political satire, crimes of lust, and the Babu culture found mention. The rise of the nouveau riche Bengali man, amused by the Western affectations of manner and gait, found particular critique through mockery and satire in these paintings.
A satirical caricature emerged out of the patua’s brush, that of a foppish male figure, complete with a mix of Bengali and Western attributes and mannerisms.’
These works generated considerable intrigue in the Western travellers.
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