In Europe, early modern French artists saw themselves working outside the main art institutions. Which Indian artists, who rebelled against art institutions, identified themselves with these western artists?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → F. N. Souza and J. Swaminathan
Option (1) M. F. Husain and Tyeb Mehta — Incorrect. Husain made the modern style understandable in an Indian context, and Tyeb Mehta moved between abstraction and figurative. Neither is named as a rebel against institutions.
Option (2) F. N. Souza and J. Swaminathan — Correct. Souza and Swaminathan rebelled against art institutions and identified themselves with the early modern French artists.
Option (3) Amrita Sher-Gil and Raja Ravi Varma — Incorrect. Sher-Gil trained in Paris and joined European modernism with Indian traditions; Ravi Varma is known for his Indianised naturalism.
Option (4) Rabindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose — Incorrect. Rabindranath made art out of doodles, and Nandalal Bose joined Kala Bhavana after training under Abanindranath Tagore.
Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.
NCERT (2026-27): “Tracing the Modern Indian Art …Early modern French artists like Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet and others saw themselves working outside the main art institutions. Cafes and restaurants became important places for artists, writers, film-makers and poets to meet and discuss about the role of art in modern life. In India, artists like F. N. Souza and J. Swaminathan, who rebelled against art institutions, identified themselves with these western artists.” |