E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore worked together at the Government Art School, Calcutta. Given below are two statements:
Assertion (A): Havell and Abanindranath Tagore designed a curriculum to include and encourage technique and themes in Indian art traditions.
Reason (R): Similar art schools established in Lahore, Bombay and Madras had their primary focus on crafts like metalwork, furniture and curios.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).
Assertion (A): Havell and Abanindranath Tagore designed a curriculum to include and encourage technique and themes in Indian art traditions. — True. Their curriculum brought Indian technique and themes into art teaching in Calcutta.
Reason (R): Similar art schools established in Lahore, Bombay and Madras had their primary focus on crafts like metalwork, furniture and curios. — True. The schools in these three cities taught crafts.
Why R does not explain A? R only tells what the art schools in other cities taught. It says nothing about why Havell and Abanindranath built a curriculum on Indian technique and themes.
The correct reason for A is that Havell and Abanindranath saw a need to Indianise art education in the country.
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. This began in the Government Art School, Calcutta, now, Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata. Similar art schools were established in Lahore, Bombay and Madras but their primary focus was on crafts like metalwork, furniture and curios. However, the one in Calcutta was more inclined towards fine arts. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore designed a curriculum to include and encourage technique and themes in Indian art traditions.” |