Indian Paintings
Indian Paintings – Railway Exam GK Capsule
Key Weightage in RRB NTPC CBT & RPF: 2-3 questions every shift
Static GK + Culture = High Repeat Value
1. Overview & Timeline
| Period | Dominant Style | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-historic (30,000–1500 BCE) | Rock Paintings | Natural pigments, hunting scenes (Bhimbetka) |
| Ancient (1500 BCE–600 CE) | Murals & Frescoes | Buddhist, Jain caves (Ajanta, Bagh, Sittanavasal) |
| Medieval (600–1200 CE) | Temple Murals | Chola, Pallava, Pala schools |
| Sultanate-Mughal (1200–1700) | Miniature courts | Persian influence, gold borders |
| Modern (1850–1947) | Company & Bengal School | Oil, water-colour, nationalist themes |
| Post-1947 | Contemporary | Progressive Artists’ Group, modern media |
2. Rock & Cave Painting Sites
| Site | State | UNESCO | Earliest Date | Speciality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhimbetka | MP | 2003 | ~30,000 BCE | 700+ rock shelters, white boar (superimposition) |
| Jogimara | Chhattisgarh | – | ~1000 BCE | Coloured murals, love inscriptions |
| Sittanavasal | Tamil Nadu | – | 2nd CE | Jain cave fresco, lotus pond |
| Ajanta | Maharashtra | 1983 | 2nd BCE–6th CE | 29 caves, tempera on dry plaster, Jataka tales |
| Bagh | MP | – | 5th CE | 9 caves, same artists as Ajanta |
3. Classical Miniature Schools
| School | Peak Period | Patron | Sub-style / Artists | Unique Trait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pala | 8–12th CE | Palas of Bihar | Manuscripts on palm-leaf | Red border, slender figures |
| Jain | 12–15th CE | Western Jain traders | Western Indian, Apabhramsa | Pointed nose, gold, square format |
| Mughal | 1560–1650 | Akbar to Shah Jahan | Hamzanama, Tuti-nama, Basawan, Daswanth | Realism, aerial perspective, European lighting |
| Rajput | 1650–1850 | Rajput courts | Mewar, Bundi, Kota, Bikaner | Flat colours, lyrical landscapes, Radha-Krishna |
| Pahari | 1700–1850 | Hill rajas | Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Chamba | Nainsukh; feminine grace, cool colours |
| Deccan | 1560–1800 | Bijapur, Golconda | Ahmednagar, Hyderabadi | Persian flair, gold, brilliant gem tones |
4. Folk & Tribal Painting Traditions
| Style | Region | Base Surface | Occasion | Motifs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madhubani / Mithila | Bihar | Wall / Paper / Cloth | Kohbar (marriage), Chhath | Fish, turtle, bamboo, double border |
| Warli | Maharashtra | White rice-paste on mud | Harvest, wedding | Circle-triangle humans, tarpa dance |
| Pattachitra | Odisha & Bengal | Patta (cloth) | Jagannath Rath Yatra | Lord Jagannath, floral borders |
| Phad | Rajasthan | 15–30 ft cloth scroll | Devnarayan & Pabuji epic | Red & yellow, narrative scroll |
| Kalamkari | AP & Telangana | Cotton cloth dyed | Temple canopies | Episodes from Ramayana, vegetable dyes |
| Kalighat | Kolkata | Paper | 19th c. pilgrims | Cat with fish, Babu-Bibi satire |
| Thangka | Sikkim/Ladakh | Cotton / silk | Buddhist festivals | Wheel of life, Green Tara |
| Gond | MP | Wall / Canvas | Karma festival | Dots & dashes, nature spirits |
5. Modern & Contemporary Turning Points
| Year | Event / Personality | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1854 | Establishment of Govt. School of Art, Calcutta | First formal art college in India |
| 1907 | E.B. Havell + Abanindranath Tagore → Bengal School | Swadeshi, rejection of western academic style |
| 1913 | “Bharat Mata” by Abanindranath Tagore | Iconic nationalist image |
| 1947 | Formation of Progressive Artists’ Group, Bombay | F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza |
| 1950 | Nandalal Bose heads Jaipur Kala Kendra | Shantiniketan ethos, national syllabus |
| 1955 | “Haldi Grinders” by Amrita Sher-Gil | Fusion of Pahari & European post-impressionism |
| 2010 | M.F. Husain given Qatar citizenship | India’s “Picasso” exiled over controversy |
6. Quick-Reference Table – Awards & Institutions
| Honour | Field | First Recipient | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padma Vibhushan (Art) | Civilian | Nandalal Bose | 1954 |
| Lalit Kala Akademi | National academy | Headquarter: New Delhi | 1954 |
| National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) | Museum | Mumbai (1954), Delhi (1955) | 1954 |
| Triennale-India | International art fair | Organised by Lalit Kala Akademi | 1968 |
7. One-liner Rapid Fire (RRB Revision)
- Oldest rock art: Bhimbetka Auditorium cave, 30,000 BCE.
- Ajanta paintings: executed in tempera technique on dry mud plaster.
- Bagh caves: located on Baghini river, MP.
- Pala painting: mostly illustrated Buddhist manuscripts like “Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita”.
- Hamzanama: 1,400 large paintings, took 15 yrs under Akbar.
- Basawan & Daswanth: Akbar’s royal painters.
- Nainsukh: Pahari master at Jasrota (Dogra rulers).
- Madhubani: GI-tagged in 2007; artists: Ganga Devi, Mahasundari Devi.
- Warli: white pigment = rice paste + gum; tarpa pipe dance.
- Phad: Joshi families of Shahpura (Bhilwara) traditional painters.
- Kalamkari: “kalam” = pen; Machilipatnam & Srikalahasti styles.
- Bengal School: opposed Company style, promoted wash technique.
- Amrita Sher-Gil: called “India’s Frida Kahlo”; mixed Indian subject with European technique.
- Ravi Varma: first Indian to use oleography; started Raja Ravi Varma Press (Lonavla) 1894.
- Progressive Artists’ Group: dissolved 1956; Husain’s horse series most famous.
- NGMA Delhi: largest collection = 17,000 art objects.
- Triennale India: held every 3 yrs, venue = New Delhi.
8. Practice MCQs – Railway Pattern
Negative marking: –⅓ | Attempt wisely
The rock shelters of Bhimbetka are located on which hill range?
A. Aravalli B. Vindhya C. Satpura D. NilgiriWhich Gupta era cave is famous for the “Flying Apsara” painting?
A. Ajanta 1 B. Ajanta 17 C. Ajanta 26 D. Bagh 4The earliest illustrated manuscript in India belongs to which school?
A. Mughal B. Pala C. Jain D. DeccanThe “Hamzanama” paintings were executed during the reign of –
A. Babur B. Humayun C. Akbar D. JahangirPointed nose, exaggerated eyes and gold backgrounds are features of –
A. Mughal B. Jain (Western Indian) C. Pahari D. CompanyWho among the following was a celebrated painter of the Jahangir period?
A. Daswanth B. Ustad Mansur C. Nainsukh D. Abdus SamadThe famous Kangra school is associated with which state?
A. Jammu & Kashmir B. Uttarakhand C. Himachal Pradesh D. SikkimMadhubani painting is traditionally done by which community?
A. Gond B. Manjusha C. Maithil Brahmin & Kayasth women D. WarliWhich folk painting uses a 15–30 ft long cloth scroll called “Phad”?
A. Pichwai B. Phad C. Kalamkari D. PattachitraThe white pigment in Warli painting is made of –
A. Lime + Turmeric B. Rice paste + Gum C. Chalk + Arabic gum D. Zinc oxide“Bharat Mata” painting was created by –
A. Nandalal Bose B. Abanindranath Tagore C. Rabindranath Tagore D. Raja Ravi VarmaAmrita Sher-Gil was born in –
A. Mumbai B. Budapest C. Shimla D. ParisIndia’s first national academy of visual arts was set up in –
A. 1947 B. 1950 C. 1954 D. 1965The Triennale-India is organised by –
A. Sahitya Akademi B. Sangeet Natak Akademi C. Lalit Kala Akademi D. NGMAWhich painting style received GI tag in 2008 for Odisha?
A. Pattachitra B. Kalamkari C. Phad D. MadhubaniThe traditional painters of the “Phad” scroll are known as –
A. Chitrakars B. Joshis C. Patuas D. ManjushasWho among the following is associated with the painting of “Dandi March”?
A. Nandalal Bose B. M.F. Husain C. F.N. Souza D. Jamini Roy
Answers Key (Click to expand)
1-B 2-B 3-B 4-C 5-B 6-B 7-C 8-C 9-B 10-B 11-B 12-B 13-C 14-C 15-A 16-B 17-A
9. Last-minute Cheat Sheet
- 30k BCE – Bhimbetka oldest
- 2nd BCE–6th CE – Ajanta caves 29
- Akbar – Hamzanama 1400 leaves
- Jain – Square, gold, pointed nose
- Pahari – Cool colours, Nainsukh
- GI tags: Madhubani (2007), Pattachitra (2008), Phad (2014)
- Institutes: Lalit Kala Akademi 1954, NGMA 1954 (Mumbai) & 1955 (Delhi)
- Triennale: Every 3 yrs, New Delhi
- Bengal School: Swadeshi, wash technique
- Progressive Group: Souza, Husain, Raza → 1947
- Ravi Varma Press: Oleographs 1894, Lonavla
Revise table → attempt MCQs → repeat one-liners = 100 % score in Indian Paintings!
BETA
