Which one of the following was `not` a feature of the art of painting in India in the 19th century?
[amp_mcq option1=”Art was being produced for the open market.” option2=”The artist (Shilpi) became distinct from the artisan (Karigar).” option3=”The technique of oil painting was developed.” option4=”The distinction between elite and popular art widened.” correct=”option3″]
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.