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In this Early Bengal oil, how humanised the gods are, how endearing their countenances, eyes and limbs so Ajantesque, the head gear reminiscent of a Mughal queen’s jewelry, the perspective so flattened, and the attempted depth so European… these were all the characteristics of Early Bengal oils that were made by erstwhile Mughal court painters learning new skills under European influences in the developing trading depots in Bengal. Yet, the narrative they conveyed—Hindu mythological stories—were strictly in keeping with the demand of their urban patrons.