A babu and bibi embracing
1996
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1996
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A babu and bibi embracing is a 1996 paint by Ranjit Chitrakar, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
Ranjit Chitrakar painted *A babu and bibi embracing* between 1995 and 1998. It’s a Kalighat style work, long and thin like a scroll. He reused an old Bengali scene but swapped the usual colors for pale lilacs and pinks. Those dyes came from seasonal flowers—bright, fresh, and his own twist. Check out more Kalighat scrolls at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A rectangular painting with a double yellow and black border depicts a Bengali babu and his mistress embracing in a room with orange walls and a blue floor. The male figure wears a white dhoti under a black kurta, western-style buckled shoes, a curled hairstyle, and ear adornments, while the female figure is dressed in a white sari with a lilac border, minimal clothing, and extensive jewelry. Their pose mirrors traditional Kalighat compositions, such as those from the Tarakeshwar affair series, where couples in similar embraces are shown. The work’s elongated format allows it to be rolled and…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
