A set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730 at Guler retained some elements of which earlier style, most strikingly the lavish use of beetle’s wing casings?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Basohli style
Option (1) Kangra style — Incorrect. The Kangra School grew only after the matured style entered Kangra during the 1780s.
Option (2) Basohli style — Correct. The 1730 set kept elements of the Basohli style, mainly the lavish use of beetle’s wing casings.
Option (3) Guler–Kangra style — Incorrect. This was the new style then taking shape at Guler, not the earlier style the set held on to.
Option (4) Kullu style — Incorrect. The Kullu style is known for figures with a prominent chin and wide open eyes. The beetle’s wing casings kept in the 1730 set came from Basohli, not Kullu.
NCERT (2026-27): “Guler School The first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a complete transformation in the Basohli style, initiating the Guler–Kangra phase. … The most matured version of this style entered Kangra during the 1780s, thus, developing into the Kangra School while the offshoots of Basohli continued in Chamba and Kullu, India. … Manak’s most outstanding work is a set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730 at Guler, retaining some of the elements of the Basohli style, most strikingly the lavish use of beetle’s wing casings.” |