Class 8 Social Science Notes Chapter 4 (The Changing World of Visual Arts) – Our Pasts - III (Part-2) Book

Alright class, let's delve into Chapter 4: 'The Changing World of Visual Arts' from your 'Our Pasts - III (Part 2)' textbook. This chapter is crucial for understanding how art in India transformed during the colonial period. Pay close attention, as these points are important for your exams.

Chapter 4: The Changing World of Visual Arts - Detailed Notes

I. Introduction: Art and Empire

• The arrival of the British brought significant changes not just politically and economically, but also culturally, especially in the world of visual arts.
• New styles, techniques, and themes were introduced, leading to interaction, adaptation, and resistance from Indian artists.

II. New Forms of Imperial Art

• The British brought with them European artistic traditions. Art served the purpose of the empire – documenting landscapes, people, and glorifying British rule.
• A. The Tradition of Picturesque Landscape Painting:
  • Concept: This style depicted landscapes, particularly India's, as quaint, rugged, and often featuring ancient ruins.
  • Purpose: To contrast Britain's modern, orderly civilization with India's seemingly decaying past. It aimed to show landscapes that were pleasing and 'picturesque' to the European eye.
  • Key Artists: Thomas Daniell and his nephew William Daniell were famous for their picturesque paintings of India's ruins, forts, and scenery (e.g., views of Calcutta, ruins of Gaur).
  • Effect: These images shaped European perceptions of India as an ancient land whose glory was in the past, justifying British intervention.
• B. Portraits and the Emphasis on Realism:
  • Concept: European artists introduced the technique of oil painting and the style of realism, aiming for lifelike representations. Portraits became very popular.
  • Purpose: British officials and wealthy Indians commissioned portraits to display their status, power, and wealth. Realism was seen as superior to existing Indian traditions (like miniatures).
  • Key Artists: Johann Zoffany, Tilly Kettle, George Willison came to India to make fortunes painting portraits.
  • Contrast with Indian Tradition: Indian miniature paintings often focused on capturing the essence or status rather than exact likeness, using flat perspectives. European realism emphasized perspective, light, and shadow for a three-dimensional effect.
• C. History Painting:
  • Concept: Large paintings depicting dramatic historical events, particularly British victories and achievements in India.
  • Purpose: To glorify British rule, depict British superiority, heroism, and the inevitability of their conquest.
  • Key Examples: Paintings depicting Robert Clive's victories (e.g., Battle of Plassey by Francis Hayman), the defeat and death of Tipu Sultan (often portrayed negatively as tyrannical). These paintings were displayed publicly in Britain to shape public opinion.

III. The Response of Indian Artists

• Indian artists reacted to these new influences in various ways.
• A. Adaptation by Court Artists:
  • Local rulers and Nawabs, influenced by British tastes, began commissioning works in the new European styles.
  • Court artists learned techniques like oil painting and perspective, blending them with Indian themes. Examples found in courts like Murshidabad and Lucknow.
• B. Popular Art: Kalighat Painting (Calcutta):
  • Origin: Developed near the Kalighat temple in Calcutta (Kolkata) in the 19th century.
  • Artists: Village scroll painters (patuas) who moved to the city.
  • Style: Bold outlines, vibrant colours, shading to give a rounded effect (volume). Produced quickly on paper for sale to pilgrims and common people.
  • Themes: Initially religious figures (gods, goddesses). Later included social commentary, depicting everyday life, satirizing the new 'Babu' culture (Westernised Indians), and commenting on social changes under British rule. Reflected the social and political churn of the time.
• C. Company Painting:
  • Concept: A hybrid style patronized by officials of the British East India Company.
  • Artists: Indian artists trained to adopt Western techniques (realism, perspective, watercolours) to suit British tastes.
  • Themes: Documenting Indian flora, fauna, monuments, festivals, occupations, castes, and communities for British records and albums. Retained elements of Indian miniature detail but incorporated Western perspective.

IV. The Search for a National Art

• With the rise of nationalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a conscious effort to define a truly 'Indian' style of art, rejecting colonial influences.
• A. Raja Ravi Varma:
  • Style: Blended Western academic techniques (oil painting, realism, perspective) with Indian mythological and epic themes (Ramayana, Mahabharata).
  • Impact: Became immensely popular. His paintings were mass-produced through his printing press, making religious and mythological figures accessible to a wider audience across India.
  • Criticism: Nationalists later criticized his style as imitative of the West and lacking the spiritual quality of traditional Indian art.
• B. Abanindranath Tagore and the Bengal School:
  • Reaction: Led a movement against Ravi Varma's style and Western academic art taught in British art schools.
  • Goal: To create an authentic 'Indian' or 'Oriental' style.
  • Inspiration: Looked towards traditional Indian art forms like Mughal miniatures, Ajanta frescoes, Rajput painting, and also drew inspiration from Japanese art (wash technique).
  • Style: Emphasized elegance, grace, spirituality, muted colours, and fluid lines. Rejected realism and oil painting initially. Used watercolour wash techniques.
  • Key Figures: Abanindranath Tagore (nephew of Rabindranath Tagore), Nandalal Bose.
  • Famous Work: Abanindranath's 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India), depicted as a serene, ascetic figure, became an icon of the nationalist movement.
  • Influence: The Bengal School significantly influenced modern Indian art, promoting a sense of cultural identity and pride.

V. The Impact of Photography

• The arrival of photography in India in the 1840s also impacted visual arts.
• It provided a new medium for documentation and portraiture, sometimes competing with painting, but also influencing painters' perspectives.

VI. Conclusion

• The colonial period was a time of intense change in Indian visual arts.
• European styles were introduced for imperial purposes, leading to adaptation by Indian artists (Court, Company, Kalighat).
• The rise of nationalism spurred a search for an authentic Indian artistic identity, leading to figures like Raja Ravi Varma and the influential Bengal School, which sought inspiration from India's diverse artistic past and Asian traditions.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Exam Preparation:

1. Which European artistic style focused on depicting India's landscapes, often featuring ruins, as quaint and rugged?
   a) Realism
   b) History Painting
   c) Picturesque
   d) Impressionism
   Answer: c) Picturesque

2. Johann Zoffany and Tilly Kettle were European artists primarily known for which type of painting in India?
   a) Landscape Painting
   b) History Painting
   c) Portrait Painting
   d) Abstract Art
   Answer: c) Portrait Painting

3. Paintings depicting British victories like the Battle of Plassey fall under which category of Imperial Art?
   a) Picturesque Landscapes
   b) Portraits
   c) History Painting
   d) Company Painting
   Answer: c) History Painting

4. Kalighat painting, known for its bold lines and social commentary, originated in which Indian city?
   a) Delhi
   b) Murshidabad
   c) Calcutta
   d) Madras
   Answer: c) Calcutta

5. Which style of painting was developed by Indian artists primarily for British East India Company officials, often documenting flora, fauna, and local customs?
   a) Kalighat Painting
   b) Company Painting
   c) Bengal School Art
   d) Mughal Miniature
   Answer: b) Company Painting

6. Raja Ravi Varma gained immense popularity for his paintings that combined:
   a) Abstract forms with Indian spirituality
   b) Japanese wash techniques with Mughal themes
   c) Western realism and oil painting techniques with Indian mythological subjects
   d) Kalighat style with historical events
   Answer: c) Western realism and oil painting techniques with Indian mythological subjects

7. Who led the movement known as the Bengal School, seeking an authentic 'Indian' style of art inspired by traditional forms like Ajanta and Mughal miniatures?
   a) Raja Ravi Varma
   b) Thomas Daniell
   c) Nandalal Bose
   d) Abanindranath Tagore
   Answer: d) Abanindranath Tagore

8. The famous painting 'Bharat Mata', depicting Mother India as an ascetic figure, was painted by:
   a) Raja Ravi Varma
   b) Nandalal Bose
   c) Abanindranath Tagore
   d) Jamini Roy
   Answer: c) Abanindranath Tagore

9. The artists associated with the Bengal School rejected which of the following?
   a) Inspiration from Ajanta frescoes
   b) The use of watercolour wash techniques
   c) Western academic style and oil painting
   d) Inspiration from Japanese art
   Answer: c) Western academic style and oil painting

10. Thomas Daniell and William Daniell are best known for popularizing which type of art in the context of British India?
    a) Realistic Portraits
    b) History Paintings of British battles
    c) Picturesque Landscape Paintings
    d) Company Paintings of Indian occupations
    Answer: c) Picturesque Landscape Paintings

Make sure you revise these points thoroughly. Understanding the context, key artists, styles, and the nationalist response is essential. Good luck with your preparation!