Which of the following is NOT said about the copying and spread of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Many of his paintings were copied as woodcuts.
Option (1) Many of his paintings were copied as oleographs. — Said of his paintings. His paintings became so popular that many were copied as oleographs.
Option (2) Many of his paintings were copied as woodcuts. — Not said of his paintings. Woodcuts are not linked to Raja Ravi Varma. It was Nandalal Bose who illustrated primers in Bengali with woodcuts.
Option (3) The paintings entered people’s homes as calendar images. — Said of his paintings. His paintings entered people’s homes as calendar images.
Option (4) The copies of his paintings were sold in the market. — Said of his paintings. The oleograph copies of his paintings were sold in market.
NCERT (2026-27): “Raja Ravi Varma …The most successful examples of this type of painting were found away from these art schools. They are best seen in the works produced by self-taught artist, Raja Ravi Varma of the Travancore Court in Kerala. By imitating copies of European paintings popular in Indian palaces, he mastered the style of academic realism and used it to depict scenes from popular epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They became so popular that many of his paintings were copied as oleographs and were sold in market. They even entered people’s homes as calendar images.” “Shantiniketan — Early modernism …At Kala Bhavana, Nandalal founded the intellectual and artistic milieu to create an Indian style in art. By paying attention to the folk art forms that he saw around in Shantiniketan, he began to focus on the language of art. He also illustrated primers in Bengali with woodcuts and understood the role of art in teaching new ideas.” |