Nihal Chand worked for Sawant Singh of Kishangarh between 1735 and 1757. Which theme did his paintings on Sawant Singh’s poetry portray?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Divine lovers — Radha and Krishna
Option (1) Battle scenes from the Ramayana — Incorrect. War scenes belong to Mewar, where Sahibdin painted the Yuddha Kanda, the Book of Battles, of the Ramayana.
Option (2) Divine lovers — Radha and Krishna — Correct. Nihal Chand painted Sawant Singh’s poetry on the divine lovers, Radha and Krishna, in courtly surroundings set in vast landscapes.
Option (3) Heroism of Durgadas Rathore — Incorrect. The heroism of Durgadas was celebrated in the court paintings of Ajit Singh of Jodhpur.
Option (4) Hunting scenes of the rulers — Incorrect. Hunting scenes figure at Bundi, in the paintings of Bishen Singh hunting wild animals.
NCERT (2026-27): “Sawant Singh’s most celebrated and outstanding artist was Nihal Chand. Nihal Chand worked for Sawant Singh between 1735 and 1757, and composed paintings on Sawant Singh’s poetry that portrayed the theme of divine lovers — Radha and Krishna, in courtly surroundings, often appearing tiny in the vastness and minutiae of their panoramic landscape settings. Kishangarh artists reveled in the depiction of vistas in accentuated colours.” |