What sources of inspiration did Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell prefer for the Bengal School of Art?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Mughal and Pahari miniatures
Option (1) Company School of Painting — Incorrect. They ranked the Company School of Painting below the miniatures as a source.
Option (2) Academic style taught in colonial Art Schools — Incorrect. They were critical of the colonial Art Schools and ranked their academic style below the miniatures too.
Option (3) Mughal and Pahari miniatures — Correct. For Abanindranath and Havell, Mughal and Pahari miniatures were more important sources of inspiration.
Option (4) Realistic studies of the Bombay School of Art — Incorrect. Gladstone Solomon trained the Bombay School students in realistic studies. This stood on the European side of the struggle over taste in art.
NCERT (2026-27): “The Bengal School …Both Abanindranath and Havell were critical of colonial Art Schools and the manner in which European taste in art was being imposed on Indians. They firmly believed in creating a new type of painting that was Indian not only in subject matter but also in style. For them, Mughal and Pahari miniatures, for example, were more important sources of inspiration, rather than either the Company School of Painting or academic style taught in the colonial Art Schools.” |