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Kali and the Battala print

The Battala woodcut was the popular art of 19th century Calcutta and was the only indigenous art activity of that time which could be termed as a ‘school’. It was the earliest hub of printing and publishing in colonial Calcutta. Battala woodcuts created an interesting visual narrative whose archival value is often ignored by many. Benimadhab Bhattacharya’s Kali created a prolific impact and had a far-reaching influence on the semi-educated Bengalis and the British in those times. The woodcut was not only gigantic but had a magnetic and mesmerizing appeal to offer which caught the attention of the connoisseurs.