A current exhibition within the capital offers an unparalleled glimpse right into a pivotal chapter of India’s visible historical past, the place conventional spiritual artwork intersects with the modernity of print know-how.
Administration of Artwork Treasures of India (MATI)’s newest exhibition, ‘Chitpur Chronicles: A Journey via Sacred Imagery,’ showcases the oldest and rarest Chitpur lithographs. Chitpur Lithographs have been a ground-breaking innovation that reworked the manufacturing and dissemination of photographs through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These 100-year-old uncommon prints, which characterize a big second in India’s inventive evolution, primarily depict Hindu deities and mythological narratives, reflecting the wealthy cultural heritage of the Chitpur space of Kolkata. In contrast to conventional hand-drawn or painted artwork, lithography allowed for the mass manufacturing of detailed and high-quality prints. This method concerned drawing photographs on limestone or metallic plates utilizing oil-based ink, which might then be transferred onto paper, creating a number of copies with relative ease and accuracy.
The poignant narrative of Abhimanyu-Uttara from the Mahabharata
| Picture Credit score:
Courtesy: MATI
“Lithography enabled the dissemination of visible tradition throughout completely different areas, making a shared aesthetic and devotional expertise. It performed a key function in popularising spiritual imagery, guaranteeing that temples, households and public areas might all home inexpensive, but artistically helpful representations of divine and historic figures. This democratisation of artwork via lithography had a profound impression on cultural id, spiritual follow and visible expression in India,” mentioned Siddhartha Tagore, MATI’s founder.
The exhibition invitations guests to witness the divine presence of distinguished Hindu deities, equivalent to Beenapani (Saraswati) in addition to Jagaddhatri Mata and Kalighater Sri Sri Kali Mata(Kali). The sleek Radha is portrayed in a bit titled Radha Gostho. Moreover, works equivalent to Ganeshwari Mata and Shiva Parivar(depicting Shiva’s household) current familial and cosmic concord. Additional, the formidable Sri Sri Dashabhuja stands as an emblem of energy and safety.
Mythological tales prolong past the gods, with a robust piece titled Papir Shasthi(Punishment to Sinner), a vivid portrayal of punishment within the afterlife. The exhibition additionally brings to life two uncommon scenes from India’s epic traditions: the poignant narrative of Abhimanyu-Uttara from the Mahabharata and Shri Shri Ram Raja (Ram Darbar) from the Ramayana, providing glimpses of each valour and divine rulership.
Shri Shri Ram Raja (Ram Darbar) from the Ramayana
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Courtesy: MATI
“Recognized for his or her distinctive inventive and cultural qualities, one of many defining options of Chitpur lithographs is the vivid use of color, with vibrant, saturated hues that carry depictions of deities, mythological scenes and historic narratives to life, making the prints visually hanging. The affordability and effectivity of lithographic printing revolutionised the way in which photographs, significantly spiritual and mythological ones, have been shared with the general public. These works, which have been as soon as accessible solely to the rich, might now be produced in massive numbers, reaching a broader viewers, together with the center class,” mentioned Gaurav Kumar, Curator, MATI.
One among Kolkata’s oldest neighbourhoods, Chitpur grew to become the epicentre of the printing revolution within the nineteenth century, largely as a consequence of its strategic location, wealthy cultural heritage and flourishing artist group. Initially identified for its conventional craftsmanship, theatrical performances and vibrant markets, it was a perfect breeding floor for inventive innovation and cultural trade. As lithographic printing gained recognition in Bengal, Chitpur quickly grew to become the point of interest for a number of famend printing homes and studios.
Drawn by the world’s bustling business exercise and proximity to town’s rising center class, numerous famend studios harnessed this know-how to create gorgeous depictions of Hindu deities, epic narratives and cultural icons. Every Chitpur studio developed its personal signature model. The Chore Bagan Artwork Studio was identified for its intricate and vivid depictions of mythological and spiritual topics. Its consideration to element and vibrant compositions made its prints extremely wanted.
Sri Sri Kali Mata
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Courtesy: MATI
Positioned within the coronary heart of Kolkata, the Kansaripara Artwork Studio was well-known for its skill to infuse life into the depictions of divine figures, typically embodying the deep spiritual sentiments of the plenty. Lithographs from Chore Bagan Artwork Studio and Kansaripara Artwork Studio are additionally identified for his or her beautiful detailing, particularly within the intricate portrayal of jewelry, clothes and expressions of Hindu deities, capturing divine and narrative parts with nice precision. Calcutta Artwork Studio (Litho Press) additionally contributed considerably to the period’s visible narrative, producing lithographs that have been marked by precision and inventive finesse.
“Every of those studios was instrumental in shaping the visible tradition of the time, producing a wide selection of works that catered to spiritual and cultural calls for. Collectively, these studios created a visible legacy that not solely represented spiritual devotion but additionally mirrored the socio-cultural surroundings of Bengal through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,” mentioned Siddhartha Tagore.
The sleek Radha is portrayed in a bit titled ‘Radha Gostho’.
| Picture Credit score:
Courtesy: MATI
Consequently, Chitpur was reworked right into a thriving inventive hub, the place custom and trendy know-how intersected. The printing revolution in Chitpur grew to become a cultural motion that democratised artwork, making it accessible to a a lot wider viewers, and cemented Chitpur’s legacy as a cornerstone of Kolkata’s inventive and historic panorama.
“Chitpur’s function on this revolution was bolstered by the inflow of expert artisans and technicians who specialised in lithography. These studios not solely employed native expertise but additionally grew to become centres for studying and innovation in printmaking. The neighbourhood’s lithographs, marked by their vibrant colors and inventive intricacy, grew to become broadly recognised and picked up, contributing to the unfold of visible tradition all through Bengal and past,” mentioned Gaurav Kumar.
This lithograph reveals the progressive outlook of the artists of the area.
| Picture Credit score:
Courtesy: MATI
Chitpur Chronicles: A Journey Via Sacred Imagery will proceed until thirtieth September at Naivedyam basement, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi.
Revealed – September 19, 2024 04:58 pm IST
