Comprehension:
Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:-
The accomplished tradition of painting at Bundi gave rise to one of the most outstanding Rajasthani Schools of miniature painting, Kota, which excels in the depiction of hunting scenes and reflects an exceptional excitement and obsession for animal chases. Bundi and Kota were parts of the same kingdom till 1625, when Jahangir divided the Bundi empire and awarded one part to Madhu Singh, the younger son of Rao Ratan Singh, for his bravery in defending him against his son Prince Khurram’s (Shah Jahan) rebellion in Deccan.
After its separation from Bundi, Kota had its own School, commencing in the reign of Jagat Singh (1658-1683). In the early period, the paintings of Bundi and Kota couldn’t be distinguished for several decades as Kota painters borrowed from the Bundi repertoire. Some compositions were taken verbatim from Bundi pictures. However, there is an attitude of non-conformity apparent in figural and architectural exaggerations. With a flair for drawing superseding in the following decades, the Kota style of painting became strikingly individual. By the reign of Ram Singh (1686-1708), artists had passionately enlarged their inventory to a large variety of subjects. Kota artists seem to have been the first to render landscapes as the real subject of compositions. Umed Singh (1770-1819) acceded to the throne at the age of ten years, but his regent arranged for the young king to be amused with hunting and gaming from an early age. Paintings served as flattering records of his exploits and the obsession with the chase, which became a social ritual in which even women of the court participated. Kota artists excelled in rendering animals and combat, and paintings thus reflect a characteristically spontaneous and calligraphic execution.
The passage states that the miniature paintings during the reign of Umed Singh served as flattering records of the hunting games and the king’s exploits.
Choose the option that accurately explains this characteristic of painting:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The patron of commissioned art plays a critical role in the direction the art takes.
A patron is a person who pays for and supports an artist, and commissioned art is art made to order for such a person. Under Umed Singh, paintings became "flattering records of his exploits" and of his obsession with the chase: the king’s own love of hunting decided what the artists painted. This shows how much the patron shapes the direction of the art.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Reality imitates art rather than vice versa. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the paintings "served as flattering records of his exploits", so art followed real life; the passage gives no case of life copying art.
Option 2: Indian art is intrinsically realistic and leaves little room for deviation from depictions of life as we see it. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage speaks of "figural and architectural exaggerations" and of paintings that were "flattering records", both departures from plain realism.
Option 4: Art always follows the dictates of the prevalent time’s trends. — Incorrect. Too broad: the paintings followed one ruler’s personal interest, "the obsession with the chase", not the trends of the age, and "always" makes a claim the passage does not support.