Battala woodcut prints are the woodcut relief prints produced in the Battala region of Calcutta.[2][3][4] Although woodblock printing on fabrics has been in India for centuries, the paper adaptation of woodblock printing appeared relatively late, because of the late entry and early exit due to advent of lithography the Battala woodcut printing had a remarkably short run. The Battala woodcuts were printed on a very cheap newsprint like paper to keep the cost of these prints low. Because of the short run, cheap paper and humid conditions of the region very few of these prints have survived.[5]
| Battala Woodcut Prints | |
|---|---|
A Battala woodcut print depicting Durga slaying Mahishasura, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London | |
| Location of production | Battala |
| No. in existence | 100-200[1] |
History edit
In the early 19th Century, the Battala area became known for the prints, which typically had a religious or mystical theme.[6] They made their first appearance in the 1820s as book illustrations;[7] by the mid nineteenth century printmakers started printing the smaller prints, which often represented Kalighat paintings.[8][9]
Demand for the prints began to decline with the introduction of color lithography printing.[10]
References edit
- ^ "A Rare Kali Woodcut from the Era of the Battala Printers : Art in Print".
- ^ Christopher Pinney (2004). 'Photos of the Gods': The Printed Image and Political Struggle in India. Reaktion Books. pp. 27–. ISBN 978-1-86189-184-6.
- ^ Jehangir Art Gallery (1985). Indian Print Making Today, 1985. Jehangir Art Gallery.
- ^ East and West. Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente. 1985.
- ^ "A Rare Kali Woodcut from the Era of the Battala Printers : Art in Print".
- ^ Swapan Chakravorty; Abhijit Gupta (2004). Print Areas: Book History in India. Orient Blackswan. pp. 171–. ISBN 978-81-7824-082-4.
- ^ Rachel Fell McDermott (2011). Revelry, Rivalry, and Longing for the Goddesses of Bengal: The Fortunes of Hindu Festivals. Columbia University Press. pp. 294–. ISBN 978-0-231-12918-3.
- ^ Tanika Sarkar (2001). Hindu Wife, Hindu Nation, Community, Religion, and Cultural Nationalism. Indiana University Press. pp. 65–. ISBN 978-0-253-34046-7.
- ^ Barbara Rossi (1 January 1998). From the Ocean of Painting: India's Popular Paintings, 1589 to the Present. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-511193-4.
- ^ Krishna Chaitanya (1976). A History of Indian Painting: The modern period. Abhinav Publications. pp. 118–. ISBN 978-81-7017-310-6.