Kali

Kali boldly confronts the viewer, resting one foot on Shiva’s prone body and brandishing the head of a decapitated demon that lies at her feet. The dynamic realism of this representation was to have great appeal, and went on to become one of the most popular prints produced by the Ravi Varma press. This image was created long after Ravi Varma death and thus, has no connection to the earlier prints based on his oil paintings. In many ways the bold simple color fields and confrontational presentation of Kali are the antithesis of the early products of Ravi Varma’s press. The Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society in their early 20th century Glimpses of a Land of Sun and Sadness, in reference to this print wrote “What an awful picture! We exclaim as we look at the ferocious figure of Kali.” (Pinney)