KALIGHAT PAINTING

Kalighat Painting  Originated in the 19th century in West Bengal, India in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali temple, Calcutta and from being items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian Painting. From the depiction of Hindu gods, and other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of subjects, including many depictions of everyday life. An important achievement of the Kalighat artists was that they made simple paintings and drawings, which could easily be reproduced by lithography. Such prints were then hand coloured. The charm of the Kalighat paintings lies in the fact that they captured the essence of daily life and they influence modern artists.