Which Guler painter’s most outstanding work is a set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Manak
Option (1) Nainsukh — Incorrect. Nainsukh, Manak’s brother, became court painter of Balwant Singh of Jasrota and is known for individual portraiture.
Option (2) Pandit Seu — Incorrect. Pandit Seu was the father of Manak and Nainsukh.
Option (3) Manak — Correct. Manak, also called Manaku, painted this set at Guler, keeping elements of the Basohli style.
Option (4) Fattu — Incorrect. Fattu belonged to the next generation, the sons of Manaku and Nainsukh, and painted in the Kangra style.
NCERT (2026-27): “Guler School …Guler artist Pandit Seu with his sons Manak and Nainsukh are attributed with changing the course of painting around 1730–40 to a new style, usually, referred to as the pre–Kangra or Guler–Kangra kalam. … Though initiated by Manak, also called Manaku, his brother Nainsukh, who became the court painter of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota, is responsible for shaping the Guler School emphatically. … Manak’s most outstanding work is a set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730 at Guler, retaining some of the elements of the Basohli style, most strikingly the lavish use of beetle’s wing casings.” |