Which sculptor used academic realism to celebrate the labour of the working classes?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → D. P. Roy Chowdhury
Option (1) Ramkinkar Baij — Incorrect. Baij turned the daily activity of a Santhal family into modern art in cement. His style was in sharp contrast with academic realism.
Option (2) D. P. Roy Chowdhury — Correct. He used academic realism to celebrate the labour of working classes in The Triumph of Labour.
Option (3) Prodosh Das Gupta — Incorrect. Das Gupta was the sculptor who led the Calcutta Group in 1943. He is not linked with academic realism or The Triumph of Labour.
Option (4) Amarnath Sehgal — Incorrect. Sehgal struck a balance between abstraction and figurative work in wiry sculptures such as Cries Unheard.
NCERT (2026-27): “Introduction to Modernism in India …Ramkinkar Baij was an artist given to the celebration of nature. …For instance, his Santhal Family, made as an outdoor sculpture within the Kala Bhavana compound, turned the daily activity of a Santhal family setting out for work into a larger than a life size piece of art. Besides, it was made out of modern material like cement mixed with pebbles, held in shape with the help of metal armature. His style was in sharp contrast with works of earlier sculptor like D. P. Roy Choudhury, who had used academic realism to celebrate the labour of working classes, The Triumph of Labour.” “Triumph of Labour This is an open air large-scale sculpture in bronze made by Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury (1899–1975). It was installed at Marina Beach, Chennai, on the eve of the Republic Day in 1959. It shows four men trying to move a rock, rendering the importance and contribution of human labour in nation building.” |