Untitled (Kojagori Lakshmi)

The term ‘Kojagori’ is derived from the Bengali words Ke Jago Re meaning ‘who is awake’. It is believed that on Kojagori Lakshmi Puja, the goddess visits her devotees to bless them with health, wealth and prosperity. Untitled (Kojagori Lakshmi) highlights the naturalistic and near-naturalistic executions of Early Bengal oils, in demand among the newly-rich people of Bengal in the late nineteenth century. These were created by traditional artists from the lower ranks of society who tried to acquire the naturalistic technique of the European painters.