What artistic influence is evident in Abanindranath Tagore’s painting “Journey’s End”?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Mughal and Pahari miniatures
Option (1) European academic realism — Incorrect. This is the style Raja Ravi Varma mastered. The nationalists came to look down on it as foreign and too western.
Option (2) Company School of Painting — Incorrect. Abanindranath and Havell ranked the Company School of Painting below the miniatures as a source of inspiration.
Option (3) Mughal and Pahari miniatures — Correct. Journey’s End shows the influence of Mughal and Pahari miniatures, and Abanindranath’s wish to create an Indian style in painting.
Option (4) Cubist style of modern Europe — Incorrect. The Cubist style is seen in the paintings of Gaganendranath Tagore, Abanindranath’s brother.
NCERT (2026-27): “Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell The year 1896 was important in the Indian history of visual arts. E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore saw a need to Indianise art education in the country. … Havell and Abanindranath Tagore designed a curriculum to include and encourage technique and themes in Indian art traditions. Abanindranath’s Journey’s End shows the influence of Mughal and Pahari miniatures, and his desire to create an Indian style in painting.” |