In 1943, a few young artists in Calcutta formed the Calcutta Group. Why did the group dislike the Bengal School of Art?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Its deep interest in the past
Option (1) Its lack of sentimentality — Incorrect. The group found the Bengal School too sentimental, not lacking in sentiment.
Option (2) Its deep interest in the past — Correct. The group disliked the Bengal School as it was deeply interested in the past. They wanted their art to speak of their own times.
Option (3) Its universal character — Incorrect. A universal character was what the Calcutta Group wanted for its own art, not what it disliked.
Option (4) Its focus on social problems — Incorrect. Talking about social problems was the aim of the young Calcutta artists drawn to socialism, not a fault they found in the Bengal School.
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): “Modern Ideologies and Political Art in India …In 1943, under the leadership of Prodosh Das Gupta, a sculptor, few young artists formed the Calcutta Group, which included Nirode Mazumdar, Paritosh Sen, Gopal Ghose and Rathin Moitra. The group believed in an art that was universal in character and free from older values. They did not like the Bengal School of Art as it was too sentimental and deeply interested in the past. They wanted their paintings and sculptures to speak of their own times.” |