Untitled

Becharam Das Dutta

dated equivalent to 1856 · Lithograph printed in black, with watercolor and selectively applied glaze · Asian Art

This print depicts the Krishna and his half-brother Balarama departing Vrindavan, the village that served as their childhood home. At a youthful age, Krishna had decided to leave Vrindavan and go to Mathura, his birthplace, to fulfill his mission of killing his evil uncle, the usurper king Kansa. The carriage resembles a temple festival car (ratha), with its architectonic towers, fluttering pennants and solid wood wheels. It is drawn by a pair of horses driven by a Brahmin standing astride the horses. The gopis are distressed at Krishna’s departure, one appearing to have collapsed, another lying prostrate. Prints of this type represent a transitional moment from Kalighat painted watercolor pictures to the new technology offered by the lithographic presses. Here we see the composition printed in black ink and then hand colored with watercolor washes. The inscription names both the artist and his location, at Kalighat.

Artist

Becharam Das Dutta

Date

dated equivalent to 1856

Medium

Lithograph printed in black, with watercolor and selectively applied glaze

Culture

West Bengal, Calcutta, Kalighat

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Mark Baron and Elise Boisanté, 2021