In the 19th century, a unique genre of art emerged in Bengal—Sundari paintings. These images, primarily created in urban Calcutta, depicted women known as “Sundaris” (meaning beautiful women) engaged in daily or symbolic activities. While often viewed as erotic or entertaining, Sundari paintings carried deeper social narratives that reflected the lives of marginalized women, particularly widows or sex workers.
These artworks were typically made in the Kalighat painting style—characterized by bold lines, flat colors, and expressive faces. Each Sundari had her own identity: Paan Sundari chewing betel leaf, Golap Sundari holding a rose, or Bibi Sundari smoking a hookah. These weren’t just decorative pieces; they captured the tension between societal expectations and individual agency.
During a time when widows were often ostracized, many had no option but to enter sex work. Sundari paintings offered a visual space to represent these women—not as victims, but as complex individuals with personal tastes, emotions, and strength. Through them, artists highlighted both the allure and the alienation that defined these women’s lives.
Today, Sundari paintings serve as a cultural time capsule. They allow modern viewers to understand the layered intersections of class, gender, and morality in colonial Bengal. Far from being mere curiosities, these paintings speak volumes about an era that was at once repressive and expressive, hidden and bold.