Garuda and Saubhari
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Garuda and Saubhari is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows two bright yellow figures with bold black outlines. The one on the left has a long beard, a red cloth wrapped around his waist, and a string of beads. He’s holding a small object in his hand. The figure on the right has wings, a round belly, and is playing a flute. Both have simple, flat colors with no shading. The bright colors and clear lines suggest this is part of the *kalighat* style, a type of Indian religious painting. These images often tell stories from Hindu traditions. If you like this style, check out more about *kalighat* paintings next.
This watercolour and tin-alloy painting on paper depicts Garuda, the mythical bird-man, worshipping the sage Saubhari as described in the Ramayana. Produced around 1890, it reflects the Kalighat style that emerged in Calcutta during the 19th century, characterized by bold colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. The work belongs to a broader tradition of Bengali artists who, from the 1830s onward, created narrative paintings addressing local mythology and the social tensions of a colonized society.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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