Kali Standing on Shiva (verso), from a Kalighat album

The work is a Kalighat school painting titled Kali Standing on Shiva (verso). It depicts a dark‑blue, four‑armed deity crowned and dressed in an orange‑yellow skirt, positioned atop a smaller blue‑skinned figure. Around the central figure are three subordinate figures, a kneeler, a recliner, and a sitter, each oriented toward or away from the deity. The composition is set against a bright yellow field framed by a simple arch.

Executed in the flat, bold palette characteristic of Kalighat prints, the painting employs solid areas of color without gradation or chiaroscuro, giving the scene a two‑dimensional quality. The artist uses a limited range of hues, dark blue for the goddess, bright orange‑yellow for her skirt, and a vivid yellow background, creating strong visual contrast. The lack of shading emphasizes outline and pattern over realistic modeling.

Kalighat paintings emerged in 19th‑century Kolkata as popular devotional and narrative prints sold to pilgrims visiting the Kalighat Temple. This work reflects that tradition, merging religious iconography with a stylized, commercial aesthetic. The inclusion of a simplified architectural arch and the flat decorative approach align it with other works produced for mass consumption during the period, illustrating the intersection of folk art and emerging urban markets.