Ganesh
1890
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1890
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Ganesh is a 1890 unspecified by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, depicting Bengal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a bright, flat painting of Ganesh—the Hindu god with an elephant head—seated on a throne, surrounded by a golden halo. His trunk curls to the left, and he holds a sweet in one hand. This painting was made quickly by artists in Kolkata’s Kalighat neighborhood. They sold these as cheap keepsakes to pilgrims who wanted something sacred to take home. The style is bold and simple, with strong outlines and almost no shading. If you like this, look up more about kalighat.
The elephant-headed deity who is worshipped as the remover of obstacles is shown here seated in majesty with a radiant halo. The painting has been executed in the rapid, gestural style used by artists at Kalighat to create inexpensive souvenirs for pilgrims to bring home for veneration in domestic devotional spaces.
His copious jewlery has been painted in tin, a less expensive metallic pigment than silver.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
