Watercolour highlighted with silver pigment on paper
The Kalighat pats were popular as souvenirs not just among the pilgrims visiting the Kalighat temple in Calcutta but also the cognoscenti and foreign visitors to the newly-emerging metropolis. As a consequence, the pats evolved from single goddess images of Kali and Durga to cover the entire range of Hindu religious pictures, including episodes from the epics. This work depicts the central Ramayan episode of Ram fighting Ravana’s sister Surpanakha, who tried to charm the prince of Ayodhya but was humiliated by his brother Laxman who chopped off her nose, setting the ground for Sita’s abduction by Ravana.
published references
Singh, Kishore, ed., Manifestations X | 75 Artists, 20th Century Indian Art (New Delhi: DAG, 2013), p. 50 Singh, Kishore, ed., Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art (New Delhi: DAG, 2016), p. 51
Kalighat Pats
Rama fighting with Ravana’s sister
c. mid-19th century
Watercolour highlighted with silver pigment on paper
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Kalighat Pats
Rama fighting with Ravana’s sister
c. mid-19th century
Watercolour highlighted with silver pigment on paper
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