Which one of the following was `not` a feature of the art of painting in India in the 19th century?
Art was being produced for the open market.
The artist (Shilpi) became distinct from the artisan (Karigar).
The technique of oil painting was developed.
The distinction between elite and popular art widened.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
A) Art was being produced for the open market: True. With the decline of royal and aristocratic patronage, artists increasingly catered to a wider market, including British residents and the Indian middle class (e.g., Kalighat paintings in Calcutta).
B) The artist (Shilpi) became distinct from the artisan (Karigar): True, or at least the distinction became more pronounced and redefined. The introduction of Western art education emphasizing ‘fine art’ created a hierarchy that separated artists trained in academic styles from traditional craftspeople or artisans.
C) The technique of oil painting was developed: This is incorrect. The technique of oil painting was developed in Europe centuries before the 19th century. In the 19th century, this technique was *introduced* and *popularized* in India, notably by artists like Raja Ravi Varma, but it was not *developed* in India during this period.
D) The distinction between elite and popular art widened: True. The patronage of Western academic art by the elite, contrasting with popular forms like Kalighat paintings catering to a mass urban market, led to a clearer and perhaps wider distinction between elite and popular art.
The statement that was NOT a feature of the art of painting in India in the 19th century is that oil painting was developed there.