question_answer 4)

 Why did the scroll painters and potters come to Kalighat? Why did they begin to paint new themes?  

Answer:

 The local village scroll painters, called patuas and potters (called kumors) came to Kalighat in the early nineteenth century for the following reasons: (i) This was a time when the city was expanding as a commercial and administrative centre. (ii) Markets were being established. (iii) The city appeared as a place of opportunity. (iv) The British colonial offices were coming up in new huge building and roads were being established. (v) The artists come and settled in the city in the hope of new patrons and new buyers of their art. They began to paint new themes because social norms, customs, tastes and values were undergoing rapid changes. Kalighat artists responded to the world around, and produced painting on social and political themes. At that time artists began to use shading to give them rounded form, to make the images look three-dimensional. They also adopted western habits, dressed like sahibs, smoked cigarettes or sit on chairs.