Abhisarika

This Kalighat painting takes on the theme of secret lovers' trysts at night, as exemplified by the Mughal and Rajput tradition of miniature painting. Abhisarika. meaning 'fearless', would signify a heroine who braved the dangers of the night to meet her lover, personifying the theme of romantic love. The lady in this painting is clearly going see her lover, who is possibly concealed in the shadowy car in the background. Her mobile phone, while shedding light in the dark, also hints at the opportunities provided for modern illicit affairs through the medium of text messaging and private phone calls. The spying face at the window implies that no affair is kept secret for long and that someone always finds out.