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. Nilgiri -
Which Gupta era cave is famous for the “Flying Apsara” painting?
A. Ajanta 1 B. Ajanta 17 C. Ajanta 26 D. Bagh 4 -
The earliest illustrated manuscript in India belongs to which school?
A. Mughal B. Pala C. Jain D. Deccan -
The “Hamzanama” paintings were executed during the reign of –
A. Babur B. Humayun C. Akbar D. Jahangir -
Pointed nose, exaggerated eyes and gold backgrounds are features of –
A. Mughal B. Jain (Western Indian) C. Pahari D. Company -
Who among the following was a celebrated painter of the Jahangir period?
A. Daswanth B. Ustad Mansur C. Nainsukh D. Abdus Samad -
The famous Kangra school is associated with which state?
A. Jammu & Kashmir B. Uttarakhand C. Himachal Pradesh D. Sikkim -
Madhubani painting is traditionally done by which community?
A. Gond B. Manjusha C. Maithil Brahmin & Kayasth women D. Warli -
Which folk painting uses a 15–30 ft long cloth scroll called “Phad”?
A. Pichwai B. Phad C. Kalamkari D. Pattachitra -
The 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 Varma -
Amrita Sher-Gil was born in –
A. Mumbai B. Budapest C. Shimla D. Paris -
India’s first national academy of visual arts was set up in –
A. 1947 B. 1950 C. 1954 D. 1965 -
The Triennale-India is organised by –
A. Sahitya Akademi B. Sangeet Natak Akademi C. Lalit Kala Akademi D. NGMA -
Which painting style received GI tag in 2008 for Odisha?
A. Pattachitra B. Kalamkari C. Phad D. Madhubani -
The traditional painters of the “Phad” scroll are known as –
A. Chitrakars B. Joshis C. Patuas D. Manjushas -
Who 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!
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