Untitled

While the hybrid style of Kalighat pats—where folk met Mughal miniatures and Western influences—retained traditional rich colouring, it was not uncommon to come across works in muted colour palette as is the case with this Untitled rendition of Panchamukhi (five-faced) Shiv, a rather rare theme. Here, the saffron and the green are quite aqueous compared to deep shades found in traditional paintings. This characteristic of the Kalighat pats, along with the effect of shading, has been attributed to Western artistic influences and tastes of visiting Europeans who would buy these works as souvenirs of life in India.