Hanuman and Indra
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Hanuman and Indra is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows two figures standing side by side. On the left, a person in bright blue and red clothing holds a dark elephant-like animal. The figure has a yellow face with a red headpiece and a red necklace. On the right, another person with a blurred face is dressed in simple white and gray, holding a stick or spear. The figures look like they’re part of a story, with bold colors and simple shapes. The elephant-like animal has a red harness, and the writing at the bottom is in a script that looks like Bengali. Next, look up kalighat to see more paintings like this one.
A watercolour and tin-alloy painting on paper depicts a scene from the Ramayana involving Hanuman and either Indra or Indrajit. The work reflects the Kalighat style that emerged in 19th-century Calcutta, characterized by bold colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. The painting likely illustrates a moment of conflict between the figures, framed within the broader cultural and historical context of colonial Bengal.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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