Mahant of Tarakeshwar Rides on an Elephantc. 1890 · Study 2003.104

Context from the museum

The Tarakeshwar murder case of 1873 was a public scandal in Calcutta. It concerned an affair between Elokeshi, a young wife, and the chief priest of the Shiva temple at Tarakeshwar. Having learned about the affair, her jealous husband cut Elokeshi’s throat with a fish knife on May 27, 1873. In the subsequent trial, the husband, Banerji, was sentenced to life imprisonment and the priest was fined and imprisoned for three years. Several Bengali plays and Kalighat images were inspired by this affair and depicted events that did not actually occur but were imagined by the artist. The Mahant (head priest), the adulterer, is here depicted atop an elephant, a symbol of royalty and status. While it is not known whether he actually rode an elephant, his depiction astride one indicates the Mahant’s power and affluence, setting the stage for other images of the scandalous Tarakeshwar murder of 1873.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Mahant of Tarakeshwar Rides on an Elephant is 27.8 cm wide and 45.4 cm high, equivalent to approximately 10.9 × 17.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.61:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.13 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 9.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 136.1 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Mahant of Tarakeshwar Rides on an Elephant in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 27.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?