Q 1 – What was the main focus of European artists about the British?
Ans. The main focus of European artists about the British was to show the superiority of the British.
Q 2 – What is meant by portraits?
Ans. The life size images that look lifelike and real.
Q 3 – Define the term convention.
Ans. Convention is an accepted norm or style.
Q 4 – Who painted the potrait of Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan of Arcot?
Ans. It was painted by George Willison.
Q 5 – When did Tipu Sultan of Mysore finally get defeated?
Ans. He was finally defeated in 1799.
Q 6 – What does the imperial history paintings sought to create?
Ans. It sought to create a public memory of imperial triumphs.
Q 7 – What do you understand by the term Mural?
Ans. Mural is a wall painting done by the local artists.
Q 8 – What was the aftermath of establishment of the British power?
Ans. With the establishment of the British power many of the local courts lost their influence and wealth.
Q 9 – By whom was the Damayanthi was painted?
Ans. By Raja Ravi Varma.
Q 10 – Who was the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore?
Ans. Abanindranath Tagore.
Q 11 – What is Mural?
Ans. Mural is a wall painting.
Q 12 – Where is Clive street located?
Ans. It is located in Calcutta.
Q 13 – From where does Mohammad Ali Khan belongs to?
Ans. He belongs to Arcot.
Q 14 – Where does Tipu Sultan ruled?
Ans. In Mysore.
Q 15 – By whom was the storming of seringpatnam painted?
Ans. By Rober Kerr Porter.
Q 16 – Who was Samuel Bourne.
Ans. He was a photographer.
Q 17 – When was Tipu Sultan defeated?
Ans. He was defeated in 1799.
Q 18 – What is meant by life study?
Ans. It is the study of human figure from living models where pose for the artists.
Q 19 – What did the British want from images made by the local painters?
Ans. The British wanted the images through which they could understand India, remember their life in India, and depict India to the western world.
Q 20 – Define the term perspective and how it was used by the local miniature artists at Murshidabad
Ans. Perspective: The way that objects appear smaller when they are further away and the way parallel lines appear to meet each other at a point in the distance. Local miniature artists use perspective by using light and shades to make the figures look life like and real.
Q 21 – How were the cultural traditions resisted by Tipu Sultan?
Ans. Tipu not only fought British on the battlefield but also resisted the cultural tradition by continuing to encourage the local traditions, he had his walls of the palace at Seringapatam covered with mural paintings done by local artists.
Q 22 – Briefly explain about the incidence after the Battle of Plassey.
Ans. The British defeated Sirajuddaulah in the famous battle of Plassey and after his defeat Mir Jafar was installed as the nawab of Murshidabad. It was the victory won through the conspiracy and traitor Mir Jafar was awarded the title of Nawab.
Q 23 – Differentiate between colonial portraits and existing Indian style of painting.
Ans. The existing Indian culture has the style and tradition of painting portraits in miniature.
But colonial portraits were life-size images that looked lifelike and real.
Q 24 – What happened during the Battle of Plassey? How was the defeat of Sirajuddaulah shown in history painting produced hy Francis Hayman?
Ans. The Battle of Plassey saw the defeat of Sirajuddaulah by the British. After the defeat of Sirajuddaulah in the Battle of Plassey the British installed Mir Jafar as the Nawab of Murshidabad. It was a victory won through conspiracy, and the traitor Mir Jafar was awarded the title of Nawab.
In the painting oy Francis Hayman in 1762 which was placed on public display in the Vauxhall Gardens in London, this act of aggression and conquest is not depicted. The picture shows Lord Clive being welcomed by Mir Jafar and his troops after the Battle of Plassey.
Q 25 – Who was Raja Ravi Varma? How did Ravi Varma’s mythological painting become the rage among Indian princes and art collectors?
Ans. Raja Ravi Varma was one of the 1st artists who tried to create a style that was both modern and national. Ravi Varma belonged to the family of the Maharajas of Travancore in Kerala, and he was addressed as Raja. He mastered the western art of oil painting and realistic life study, but painted themes from Indian mythology.
Q 26 – What were the three categories of Imperial Art?
Ans. The Imperial Art’ that was prevalent in India during the British Colonial rule can be classified into three categories, namely Landscape painting, Portrait painting and History painting
Q 27 – Describe European artist’s style.
Ans. The paintings done by European Artists were realistic. They painted pictures that were exactly the same in reality. The paintings looked real and lifelike. European artists introduced the technique of oil painting which was unknown to the Indian artists. Oil paintings allow artists to produce pictures that looked real. The paintings done by European Artists highlighted the culture, the power and the people of Britain.
Q 28 – Give a brief sketch of Thomas Daniell and his paintings.
Ans. Thomas Daniell began his career as a landscape painter. In 1784 he came to India with his nephew William. They both remained in India for seven years. Together they executed a number of major works in engraving, oils and watercolours.
The large oil paintings on canvas, done by them, were regularly exhibited to select audiences in Britain. Their albums of engravings were bought up by the British who wanted to know about Britain’s Empire.
‘Oriental Scenery’ is the title given to the monumental six-volume work of 144 hand-coloured engravings made by Thomas Daniell and his nephew William.
The paintings by Thomas Daniell showed the ruins of local buildings that were once grand. The paintings seemed to reveal that India would change and modernise only through British governance. The idea of British rule bringing modern civilisation to India is powerfully emphasised in the numerous pictures of late-eighteenth-century Calcutta drawn by the Daniels.
Q 29 – What are miniature paintings?
Ans. Miniature paintings are executed on a very small scale on perishable material such as paper and cloth. The Palas of Bengal were the pioneers of miniature painting in India. The art of miniature painting reached its glory during the Mughal period. The tradition of miniature paintings was carried forward by the painters of different Rajasthani schools
Q 30 – Describe the paintings done by Robert Ker Porter on the battle of Seringapatam.
Ans. The celebration of British military triumph can be seen in the paintings of the battle of Seringapatam by Robert Ker Porter. This work depicts “the decisive victory of the British in their series of campaigns to seize control of southern India.
In these pictures the British troops are shown storming the fort from all sides, cutting Tipu’s soldiers to pieces, climbing the walls, raising the British flag aloft on the ramparts of Tipu’s fort. The paintings are full of action and energy. The painting dramatises the event and glorifies the British triumph.
Q 31 – What were ‘company Paintings’?
Ans. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the British employed Indian artists to illustrate the manners and customs of India and to record scenes of monuments, deities, festivals, and occupations. These works later became known as ‘Company paintings’ because they were created by Indian artists employed by members of the British East India Company.
Q 32 – Write a brief note on Kalighat paintings.
Ans. Kalighat painting originated in the 19th century Bengal, in the vicinity of Kalighat temple of Kolkata. The paintings developed as a distinct school of Indian painting. The paintings depicted Hindu gods, goddesses, and other mythological characters.
The Kalighat Paintings are watercolour paintings done on mill-made paper. The styles of these paintings were characterized by broad sweeping brush lines, bold colours and simple forms. These paintings were sold to the devotees who visited the Kalighat temple
Q 33 –He dramatised on canvas, scene after scene from the Ramayana and the Mahabharta, drawing on the theatrical performance of mythological stories that he witnessed during his tour of the Bombay Presidency.
Ans. From 1880’s Ravi Varma’s mythological paintings became the rage among Indian princes and art collectors, who filled their palace galleries with his works.