Manada Sundari

Around the 1890s, numerous printmaking studios were established in Calcutta, each working with different artists to produce images on the same theme. Among them, paintings of Sundaris (‘beautiful women’), which featured sensual portrayals of courtesans, became popular. This Manada Sundari, for example, was printed at the The Kansaripara Art Studio, Calcutta, India, and illustrated by a different artist. The figure is characterised by a rounded face and the exaggerated proportions cause the violin to appear disproportionately larger. She was one of the most popular recording artists of her time as well. The artist has also paid close attention to the tiles on the ground, which gradually recede and reduce in size before ending at the purple wall.