Modern Indian art took many forms, from Shantiniketan to new media. Consider the following statements:
(A) Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar drew inspiration from past traditions like the Ajanta frescoes.
(B) Many younger artists used oil or acrylic to paint in the manner of a photograph or television screen.
(C) In Santhal Family, Ramkinker Baij gives an everyday scene a monumental status.
(D) The subject matter in modern Indian painting and sculpture was largely drawn from city and urban life.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Three
(A) Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar drew inspiration from past traditions like the Ajanta frescoes. — Correct. As students of Abanindranath Tagore, they also drew on Mughal, Rajasthani and Pahari miniature paintings.
(B) Many younger artists used oil or acrylic to paint in the manner of a photograph or television screen. — Correct. Artists used a new technique called photorealism, and many younger artists painted like a photograph or television screen.
(C) In Santhal Family, Ramkinker Baij gives an everyday scene a monumental status. — Correct. A Santhal family on the move was an everyday scene for the artist, yet he made it monumental.
(D) The subject matter in modern Indian painting and sculpture was largely drawn from city and urban life. — Incorrect. The subject matter came largely from rural India. City and urban life rarely appeared in the works of Indian artists.
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): “Tracing the Modern Indian Art …Artists like Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar, students of Abanindranath Tagore, were inclined to draw inspiration from past traditions like the Ajanta frescoes, and Mughal, Rajasthani and Pahari miniature paintings, among others. …An interesting fact to note about modern Indian art is that the subject matter in painting and sculpture was largely drawn from rural India. This is the case even with the Bombay Progressives and the Calcutta group during 1940s and 1950s. City and urban life rarely appeared in works of Indian artists.” “New Media Art: from 1990s …a new technique called ‘photorealism’, which was used by Atul Dodiya in Bapu at Rene Block Gallery, New York. Many younger artists used oil or acrylic to paint in the manner of a photograph or television screen.” “Santhal Family This is an open air large-scale sculpture created by Ramkinker Baij in 1937. …This must be an everyday scene for the artist living amidst the rural landscape. However, he gives it a monumental status.” |