Devi as Bagala
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Devi as Bagala is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a woman and a man in bright, flat colors. The woman sits on a yellow platform, wearing a red skirt and a gold headpiece with a jewel on top. She holds a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. The man kneels in front of her, also holding a sword, with a red cloth wrapped around his waist. The woman’s face is painted dark green, while the man’s is a lighter green. Their clothes have bold outlines and patterns, with dots and lines adding detail. The background is a simple blue, keeping focus on the two figures. Look up kalighat to see how this style connects to traditional Indian art.
A watercolour and tin-alloy painting on cardboard from 1890 depicts the goddess Devi in her form as Bagala, subduing a demon; Bagala embodies the goddess’s hypnotic power.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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