Untitled (Ganesha)

That the anonymous artists of Kalighat pats came to be regarded as artists of some skill partly owes to the work’s quality. Though intended as inexpensive souvenirs for pilgrims in Calcutta, their borrowings from colonial artists and folk styles resulted in captivating images. While the use of colours and the posture of the subjects were ritualised to a large extent, there was still room for individual artists to rise beyond the expected to leave behind a work of extraordinary skill and charisma. This Untitled (Ganesha) painting with its radiating halo and chiaroscuroed shading is an example of that.