Question

Who founded Bengal School of painting style?

• A. Rabindranath Tagore
• B. Raja Ravi Varma
• C. Mrinalini Mukherjee
• D. Abanindranath Tagore

Hint:

Be careful not to confuse Abanindranath Tagore, the painter and founder of the Bengal School, with his famous uncle, Rabindranath Tagore, the poet and Nobel laureate who also painted but in a very different, personal style later in his life.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept Overview:
The Bengal School of Art, emerging in early 20th-century Calcutta and Shantiniketan, was a significant Indian painting movement. It represented a nationalist artistic response to British academic styles, aiming to forge a modern Indian artistic identity.

Explanation Details:
Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951) is recognized as the primary artist and founder of the Bengal School. Supported by British arts administrator E. B. Havell, Tagore advocated for a departure from Western realism. He encouraged students to draw from Indian art traditions such as Mughal miniatures, Rajput paintings, and Ajanta frescoes, envisioning a spiritually and culturally authentic Indian art style. While his uncle, Rabindranath Tagore, was a significant arts patron, Abanindranath was the driving force behind the movement.

Conclusion:
Abanindranath Tagore founded the Bengal School of painting.