Lot#58 || Manik Lal Banerjee (1917 - 2002)
UNTITLED (Steps of Kalighat)
(1936)
Tempera
13.00 x 9.00 in
Estimate ₹ 50,000 - ₹ 1,00,000
PROVENANCE
Private Collection Kolkata
Private Collection Kolkata
DESCRIPTION
Maniklal Banerjee (born in present-day Bangladesh) was a renowned watercolourist known for his exquisite silk paintings. Baij was the first Indian artist to receive the Government of India’s scholarship for the arts while studying at the Government College of Art in Calcutta. His watercolour on silk artworks showcased a range of subjects from rural Indian life, Vedic, and tantric philosophies portraying life’s joys and sorrows with a spiritual touch. In this artwork, Banerjee captures the renowned Kalighat Temple, devoted to Goddess Kali, one of India’s most celebrated spiritual sites. The temple stands gracefully beside the Adi Ganga, a channel linking to the Hooghly River. The depiction showcases the distinctive steps of Kalighat leading to the sacred waters, adorned by devotees - women, children, and worshippers engrossed in their devotions. It’s a vivid scene where the faithful offer their daily puja, commemorating the temple’s role as a revered Shakti Peeth, marking the spot where Goddess Sati’s right foot’s toes once graced the earth.
Maniklal Banerjee (born in present-day Bangladesh) was a renowned watercolourist known for his exquisite silk paintings. Baij was the first Indian artist to receive the Government of India’s scholarship for the arts while studying at the Government College of Art in Calcutta. His watercolour on silk artworks showcased a range of subjects from rural Indian life, Vedic, and tantric philosophies portraying life’s joys and sorrows with a spiritual touch. In this artwork, Banerjee captures the renowned Kalighat Temple, devoted to Goddess Kali, one of India’s most celebrated spiritual sites. The temple stands gracefully beside the Adi Ganga, a channel linking to the Hooghly River. The depiction showcases the distinctive steps of Kalighat leading to the sacred waters, adorned by devotees - women, children, and worshippers engrossed in their devotions. It’s a vivid scene where the faithful offer their daily puja, commemorating the temple’s role as a revered Shakti Peeth, marking the spot where Goddess Sati’s right foot’s toes once graced the earth.
EXHIBITED
Birla Academy 1991
