In the Hamza Nama painting Spies Attack the City of Kaymar (1567–82), the space is sharply cut and divided for a visual reading of the narrative. What defines the foliage and other forms in this painting?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A strong outer line
Option (1) A vibrant colour palette — Incorrect. In this painting the vibrant colours energise the unfolding of the story. They are not what defines the forms.
Option (2) A strong outer line — Correct. In Spies Attack the City of Kaymar, a strong outer line defines the foliage and other forms.
Option (3) Bold modelling of figures — Incorrect. Bold modelling of figures and architecture is named as a mark of the indigenous Indian style, not of the forms in this painting.
Option (4) Burnishing with agate — Incorrect. Agate was used to burnish a finished painting, to set the colours and give it radiance.
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): “Early Mughal Painting …In Hamza Nama painting, Spies Attack the City of Kaymar (1567–82), the space is sharply cut and divided so as to facilitate visual reading of the narrative. Too much of action is happening and the vibrant colours are of great use here to energise the unfolding of this story, wherein, the spies of Hamza attack the city of Kaymar. A strong outer line defines the foliage and other forms.…”
Spies of Hamza attack the City of Kaymar, 1567–1582, Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna |
