Calcutta Art Studio Chromolithograph
Region / Date
India (Kolkata, Bengal School context)
1885–1890
Key Features
This striking diptych presents two contrasting manifestations from the sacred tradition of the Mahavidyas, revealing the full spectrum of the Divine Feminine—from desolation to refined knowledge.
On the left appears Dhumavati, the “Smoky One,” depicted as an aged widow with disheveled hair, riding a chariot adorned with crows—her symbolic vehicle. She embodies void, decay, and cosmic dissolution, representing the state beyond illusion where all forms collapse into emptiness. Though considered inauspicious in conventional terms, Dhumavati is deeply revered in Tantra as a शक्ति who grants protection, removes suffering, and reveals the truth hidden within loss and abandonment.
In stark contrast, the right panel features Matangi, radiant and composed, seated regally with her attributes—sword, noose, goad, and club—symbols of control over knowledge, speech, and inner power. At her feet rests a tanpura, linking her to Sarasvati as the Tantric goddess of music, learning, and expression. Yet unlike the pure and orthodox Sarasvati, Matangi transcends societal boundaries—associated with the outcaste and the impure, she represents wisdom that exists beyond social order and convention.
Together, the diptych reveals a profound Tantric truth:
Dhumavati is the void where all dissolves, and Matangi is the refined expression that emerges from that void.
The visual contrast is deliberate and powerful—Dhumavati’s barren, somber world against Matangi’s structured, ornamented setting—mirroring the journey from emptiness to articulation, from silence to sound.
This artwork reflects Bengal’s deep engagement with Mahavidya worship, where even the most unconventional forms of the Divine are embraced as pathways to liberation.
Philosophically, it teaches:
true knowledge arises when one transcends both purity and impurity, form and formlessness.
Museum-Grade Poster Details
Size: 18 × 24 inches
Paper: 350 GSM archival matte paper
Print Quality: High-resolution reproduction preserving chromolithographic richness and tonal contrasts
Finish: Non-glare museum matte finish
Ideal For: Tantric practitioners, seekers of esoteric knowledge, and collectors of Mahavidya art
Why You’ll Love It
A rare and thought-provoking Mahavidya diptych-capturing both the void and the voice of the Divine Feminine.
Order Now
Bring home Dhumavati & Matangi, a profound representation of transformation-from dissolution to knowledge.
Available in 18 × 24 inches, with framed and unframed options, exclusively at The Soma Store.
