London's Victoria & Albert Museum was staging one of the oddest special exhibitions in its history. Amidst the elaborate splendor of Indian carpets and inlaid furniture last week were close to 100 watercolors that had once sold for a penny and under. They dated from 1830 to 1930, and all came from the environs of a temple to Kali, wife of the Hindu god Shiva, in Calcutta.
The name of the temple was Kalighat, and the art that developed and died in its shadow has therefore been known (to the few specialists who ever heard of it) as "Kalighat painting." Kalighat pictures...
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