Bhima and Kichaka
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Bhima and Kichaka is a 1885 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a muscular man in bright orange and yellow, sitting with one leg bent and his arm around a smaller, dark-skinned figure on the ground. The man’s face is serious, with a mustache and dark hair, while the smaller figure has a pale face and seems to be struggling. The background is a flat, blue-gray color, and the edges of the painting are framed in black. The smaller figure’s face looks almost like a mask, with exaggerated features. This style is tied to a specific kind of Indian art called *kalighat*. Next, check out the kalighat tradition for more examples of this bold, dramatic style.
The painting depicts Bhima, a powerful Pandava warrior, killing Kichaka, who is the brother-in-law of Virata’s king and had pursued Draupadi, the shared wife of the five Pandava brothers. Rendered in opaque watercolour on paper, the work is part of the Kalighat tradition that emerged in 19th-century Calcutta, known for its vivid colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. The scene reflects local mythological and social themes during a period when British India’s capital influenced artistic developments in the region. The artwork was later acquired from a collection inherited by Miss M…
Read the full account in the museum source.
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