Who among the following was one of the founders of the Indian Society of Oriental Art?
- A.Rabindranath Tagore
- B.Abanindranath Tagore
- C.Dwarakanath Tagore
- D.Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Abanindranath Tagore. He founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art in Calcutta in 1907 together with his brother Gaganendranath Tagore and E.B. Havell.
Abanindranath Tagore was the leading figure of the Bengal School of art, which turned away from Western academic painting and drew on Mughal, Rajput and Ajanta traditions as well as Japanese wash techniques. The society promoted this revival through exhibitions and its journal, Rupam. His best-known painting is 'Bharat Mata' (1905), made during the Swadeshi movement. His pupils, such as Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar, carried the school forward.
A is wrong because Rabindranath Tagore, his uncle, was a poet who took up painting only late in life and did not found the society. C is wrong because Dwarakanath Tagore was a businessman of the early nineteenth century, long before 1907. D is wrong because Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya was a novelist, the author of Anandamath, and died in 1894.
Exam tip: Indian Society of Oriental Art, 1907: Abanindranath, Gaganendranath and Havell; Abanindranath painted Bharat Mata.
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following properties included in the World Heritage List released by UNESCO :
1. Shantiniketan
2. Rani-ki-Vav
3. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya
How many of the above properties were included in 2023?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Show answer
Santiniketan and the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas were inscribed in 2023; the other two were listed years earlier. Both were added at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee at Riyadh in September 2023, taking India's total to 42 sites at the time.
Read the full explanation →With reference to cultural history of India, consider the following statements :
1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.
2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.
3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.
4. Annamacharya kirtanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
- A.1 and 3 only
- B.2 and 4 only
- C.1, 2 and 3
- D.2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Tyagaraja created several new ragas, and Annamacharya's kirtanas praise Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. Tyagaraja (1767–1847) of Thiruvaiyaru in Tamil Nadu is one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
Read the full explanation →At which one of the following places is the Vitthala temple located?
- A.Elephanta
- B.Chidambaram
- C.Hampi
- D.Nagarjunakonda
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The Vitthala temple stands in Hampi, the ruined capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in present-day Karnataka. The temple is dedicated to Vitthala, a form of Vishnu, and was built mainly in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with major additions under Krishnadevaraya.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct description of Kandaria Mahadeo?
- A.A Shiva temple at Elephanta
- B.The title of a work by Bhatti
- C.The capital of Chandella kings
- D.A temple at Khajuraho
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Kandariya Mahadeva is the largest and finest temple of the Khajuraho group in Madhya Pradesh. The temple was built around 1025–1050 CE under the Chandela rulers, traditionally credited to Vidyadhara.
Read the full explanation →Chak hao, the aromatic black rice that carries a Geographical Indication, is grown in which state?
- A.Assam
- B.Manipur
- C.Nagaland
- D.Mizoram
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Chak hao is the scented black rice of Manipur, used for a dark kheer at feasts and registered as a Geographical Indication, as is the kachai lemon of the same state.
Read the full explanation →