Spirit of Labour In Kalighat by Uttam Chitrakar

This is a beautiful Kalighat painting by the artist Uttam Chitrakar that depicts Babu and Bibi sitting in a rikshaw pulled by a man on the streets of Calcutta. At the heart of this vibrant composition, we find a rickshaw, a humble yet integral mode of transportation in the city. The rickshaw is being pulled by a human, his determined strides are a testament to the resilience and dedication of the daily workers. This painting also highlights the symbiotic relationship between man and machine come to life. Uttam Chitrakar's masterful brushwork captures not only the physicality of the rickshaw-puller but also the emotional weight of the labor. This Kalighat painting celebrates the spirit of labor and the unyielding commitment of those who power the wheels of urban life.

Kalighat paintings, which flourished in the 19th century in the Bengal presidency, represent a unique urban genre that evolved from the traditional folk art of Pattachitra practiced by travelling scroll painters known as patuas. These rural artists, who had migrated to Calcutta, absorbed the new manners and customs of British settlers, the revivalist exercises of Mughal influences, and the use of Sanskrit on stage. Their interactions with colonial paintings and the urban environment of Calcutta led to the development of a distinctive style. The period of Kalighat paintings coincided with the age of mechanical reproduction technologies such as woodcut, lithography, oleography, and printing, which facilitated the mass consumption of imagery in urban settings. This period of technological advancement influenced the Kalighat painters, who began using watercolors, shaded figures, and folio-sized mill-made papers to create their artworks. Uttam Chitrakar’s painting exemplifies these stylistic features, characterized by bold lines, vibrant colors, and a focus on contemporary urban themes, reflecting the social and economic dynamics of the time.

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