UPSC , UPPCS

Modern India Painting

Modern India Painting

 

Relevance – Indian History

 

Company painting Kampan Kalam

 

In the colonial period, a hybrid style of painting emerged that combined the elements of Rajput Mogul and other Indian styles along with European elements.

These paintings have evolved over the time when officers of British East India Company used to employ painters who had been trained in Indian styles of painting

  • The Artist combined their employers European test along with the Indian sensibilities and their paintings were called company paintings.
  • These were differentiated by several factors like the use of watercolour and technique. Why appearance of line perspective and shading
  • This style of painting is originated from Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Patna, Varanasi, and Thanjavur.
  • Many British officials had patronised a large number of painters, some of whom were engaged in painting the exotic, flora and fauna of the country
  • This school has produced many artists. The most famous out of which were Mazhar Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali Khan.
  • The genres of the painting was prevalent until the 20th century.

 

Bazaar Painting

This school was influenced by the European encounter in India.

Such paintings were very different from the company paintings as the company, School mixed European techniques and teams with the Indian ones while the Bazaar school did not incorporate any Indian influences, but only absorbed Roman and greek influences into it.

  • The copies of several painters were made by the patrons. For example, Greeks and Roman statues.
  • This school was prevalent in Bengal and Bihar region.
  • They used to depict the greek Roman heritage. The artist made paintings on every day bazar exhibiting Indian Bazar with European backgrounds.
  • One of the most famous themes was the depiction of Indian courtesans dancing before the British officials
  • Religious themes were also being painted by the artist, but the figure of Indian gods and goddesses with more than two exes and elephant faces like that of Lord Ganesha were prohibited because they deviated from the European notion of a natural human, figurine

 

Bengal School of Art

The Bengal school came with an arise reaction against the existing size of painting.

  • The Bengal school is unique because the artist use simple colours.
  • The idea of Bengal School came up with the works of Abanindranath Tagore in the early 20th century.
  • His work Arabian night series made a mark on a global scale.
  • It was tried to incorporate Swadeshi values in Indian art and to reduce the influence of western materialistic style among the artists.
  • Tagore is known for his painting Bharat Mata in 1905 and various Mughal highly influenced paintings
  • The school painters of Bengal school rejected the art of Raja Ravi Verma because they conceded it imitative and westernised
  • Some notable painters of this school was Nandalal Bose whose works led to further development of modern Indian art.
  • He was also associated with Santiniketan. He is known for his white on black Gandhi sketch of Dandi March, which achieved iconic status during the 1930s.
  • He was also entrusted with a task of illustrating the original document of Constitution of India.
  • Another very famous painter of this school was Rabindranath Tagore. His paintings were unique as they used dominant black lines to make the subject look prominent. He made small sized paintings. Some art historians argue that his paintings can be linked to his writings.
  • Some important names of famous painters of Bengal, School were Asit Kumar Haldar, Manishi Dey Mukul Dey,  Sunayani Devi etc.

 

The greatest Indian painter Raja Ravi Verma (1848-1906)

  • Raja Ravi Verma was one of the India’s greatest painters.
  • He is recognised as the originator of the school of modern painting.
  • The school was named modern due to the heavy influence of western techniques and themes on it. Next Raja Ravi Verma was unique as he brought together elements of South Indian painting with the western techniques of colour and style.
  • He belong to the state of Kerala and is known as the father of modern Indian art.
  • Some of his extremely famous works include ladies in the moonlight, Shakuntala, Damyanti, Swan
  • He gained a nationwide recognition for his painting from the epic Ramayana, specially the one titled Ravana kidnapping Sita and Clng Jatayu.
  • A film Rang Rasiya has been made on him.

 

The Cubist movement and style of painting

  • The Cubist movement of painting in India initially took its inspiration from the European Cubist Movement.
  • Under this style, the objects were broken, analysed and then reassignment.
  • The artists reconstructed this process on a canvas through the use of abstract art forms.
  • They try achieving the perfect balance between line and colour.
  • One of the most popular cubist artists in India was MF Hussain in his paintings that used abstract-connotations use the motive of a horse frequently frequently as an effective way to depict the fluidity of the motion.
  • Hence the movement gained a nationwide importance.

 

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Modern Indian painting has played significant roles in the emergence of freedom struggle and awakening of Indians towards their culture and history. Ellucidate