Shiva
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Shiva is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a seated figure with blue-black skin playing a large orange drum. The person wears a white armband, a beaded necklace, and a yellow cloth draped over one shoulder. Their hair is styled in a tall, striped topknot, and they hold a small blue object in their raised hand. The bright colors and bold outlines give it a lively, almost cartoonish look. The drum and the figure’s pose suggest movement, even though the scene feels still. Next, look up kalighat to see more paintings like this.
This watercolour and tin-alloy painting on paper depicts Shiva as the great musician, created around 1890. The work was donated by M N Varvill in 1955 and reflects the Kalighat style, known for its vivid colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. Kalighat paintings emerged in Calcutta during the 19th century, blending local mythology and cultural themes amid British colonial influence. The piece exemplifies the genre’s adaptation to changing social and artistic contexts in colonial Bengal.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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