Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Fine Arts

Chapter

The Deccani Schools of Painting

Question:

The earliest examples of Deccani painting are in a volume of poems, celebrating the reign of Hussain Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar (1553–1565). Most of the 12 miniatures that illustrate battle scenes are of no artistic interest, but interestingly, those depicting the queen and her marriage delight us with gorgeous colours and sensuous lines.

The feminine dress, present in a series of Ragamala paintings, are the most striking and moving examples of the sixteenth century Deccan Schools of Painting (Ahmadnagar). The women’s hair is rolled up in a bun on the nape of the neck, similar to the Lepakshi murals.

In the Decani School of paintings (Ahmadnagar) the male costume is also decisively northern. The jama with pointed tails is frequently seen in early Akbari miniatures and probably originated in the area somewhere between Delhi and Ahmedabad. The small pagri is close to the form found in the earliest Akbari miniatures. The original paintings in the Gulistan of 1567 have been attributed by art historians to the Bukhara artists.

What is the geographical origin of the male costume in the Deccani School of paintings according to the passage?

Options:

Eastern

Western

Northern

Southern

Correct Answer:

Northern

Explanation:

Answer:  Northern
The passage mentions that the male costume in the Deccani School of paintings is decisively northern, with features like the jama with pointed tails originating somewhere between Delhi and Ahmedabad.

In the Decani School of paintings (Ahmadnagar) the male costume is also decisively northern. The jama with pointed tails is frequently seen in early Akbari miniatures and probably originated in the area somewhere between Delhi and Ahmedabad. The small pagri is close to the form found in the earliest Akbari miniatures. The original paintings in the Gulistan of 1567 have been attributed by art historians to the Bukhara artists. Another interesting fact is that such painters may also have worked in the Deccan. This supported by a manuscript is now in the collection of Bankipore Library, Patna. It is signed by a scribe, Yusuf, and is dedicated to Ibrahim Adil (1569), presumably Ibrahim Qutb Shah of Golconda, who ruled from 1550–1580. This manuscript contains seven miniatures that are completely in the Bukhara idiom of that date.