The Goddess Kali (recto), from a Kalighat albumc. 1890 · Study 2003.110.a

Context from the museum

Black-skinned, four-armed, her tongue out, and blood dripping from her mouth, Kali has a third eye—representative of enlightened or divine knowledge—on her forehead. Simultaneously benevolent and dangerous, she holds a sword and a demon’s severed head in two hands while the other two hands are in gestures of protection and blessing. This image would have been sold as a pilgrim souvenir to both locals and the colonial British around the Kalighat temple and is a replica of the image worshipped inside the temple. The frightening image of Kali especially fit into the colonial imagination and into Victorian popular culture and would have been an iconic souvenir/artifact to be shown to intrigued and horrified friends at home in England.

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 The Goddess Kali (recto), from a Kalighat album is 28 cm wide and 45.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 11.0 × 18.1 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 136.0 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 The Goddess Kali (recto), from a Kalighat album 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 28 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?