Modern Paintings (Bengal School, Raja Ravi Varma)
Art & Culture › Painting · Topic 3.9
Modern Indian painting began in the late 19th century with Raja Ravi Varma (1848 to 1906) of Kilimanoor, Travancore, who painted Indian mythological themes in European oil and realistic style and spread them through oleographic prints. In reaction, the Bengal School of Art arose in the early 20th century under Abanindranath Tagore, with E. B. Havell as the supportive principal of the Calcutta School of Art, reviving Indian tradition with a wash technique. Its famous work is Bharat Mata (1905). Nandalal Bose, Asit Haldar and K. Venkatappa carried the school forward, and Santiniketan became its centre.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Painting
At a Glance
- Pioneer Raja Ravi Varma, oil painting and prints
- Reaction Bengal School, nationalist revival
- Founder Abanindranath Tagore
- Famous work Bharat Mata, 1905
- Centre Santiniketan, Kala Bhavana
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Painting
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the folk paintings and starts the modern phase. It runs from academic realism to the nationalist revival and the Santiniketan tradition. Previous topic: Regional Paintings (Madhubani, Warli, Patachitra, Kalamkari, Phad, Gond). Next topic: Contemporary Paintings (Progressive Artists’ Group).
Who Are the Key Modern Painters and What Are Their Works?
| Painter | Key works | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Raja Ravi Varma | Shakuntala, Damayanti and the Swan, Galaxy of Musicians, Hamsa Damayanti | Oil painting; epic and Puranic scenes in realistic style; set up the Ravi Varma Press near Mumbai in 1894 to print oleographs |
| Abanindranath Tagore | Bharat Mata (1905), The Passing of Shah Jahan, Journey’s End | Founder of the Bengal School; wash technique; Mughal and Japanese influence |
| Nandalal Bose | Haripura posters (1938), Sati, Bapuji | Principal of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan; Gandhi asked him to make the Congress posters; illustrated the Constitution of India |
| Asit Kumar Haldar | Bengal School scenes | Student of Abanindranath; taught at Lucknow |
| Jamini Roy | Folk-style figures | Drew on Kalighat and Bengal folk art; Padma Bhushan in 1954 |
| Amrita Sher-Gil | Three Girls, Bride’s Toilet | Hungarian-Indian modernist; combined European training with Indian subjects |
| Abdur Rahman Chughtai | Mughal style paintings | Lahore-born artist influenced by the Bengal revival and Mughal style |
What Were the Features of the Bengal School?
- Wash technique: layers of thin watercolour washes giving a soft, misty look, influenced by Japanese artists Okakura Kakuzo and Taikan
- Themes: Indian myth, history, Mughal court life and Buddhist stories
- Reaction: against the Western academic realism of the Ravi Varma and British art school style
- Havell: E. B. Havell, as principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta, supported Indian tradition and urged artists to study Mughal and Ajanta art
- Coomaraswamy: Ananda Coomaraswamy defended Indian art against colonial neglect
- Swadeshi link: the school grew with the Swadeshi movement of 1905 and nationalist pride
- Santiniketan: Rabindranath Tagore’s school, where Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Baij and Benode Behari Mukherjee worked
- Spread: the school spread to Lucknow, Madras and Lahore through students
What Else Should You Remember?
- Ravi Varma: born at Kilimanoor Palace, Kerala, he learned from a Dutch painter and from Ramaswamy Naidu, and won an award at the Vienna exhibition of 1873
- Ravi Varma prints: his oleographs made Hindu gods familiar in homes across India
- Ravi Varma honour: the Kerala government instituted the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram
- Bharat Mata: shows a four-armed saffron-clad woman holding a book, sheaves of rice, cloth and a rosary, to represent the motherland
- Abanindranath: a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, he painted with oil in early life before the wash style
- Gaganendranath: Abanindranath’s brother, known for cubist experiments and caricatures
- Alternate names: the Bengal School is also called the Bengal Renaissance art or the Swadeshi art movement
- Haripura posters: Nandalal Bose created the Haripura Congress session posters in 1938 in a simple village style
- Constitution art: the original Constitution of India was illustrated by Nandalal Bose and Santiniketan artists, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha
- Institutions: the Calcutta School of Art and the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai were colonial schools of academic style
- Next phase: the Progressive Artists’ Group is in Contemporary Paintings (Progressive Artists’ Group)
- Earlier phase: colonial painters are in Company School Painting (Colonial Era)
- Study order: remember the artist, the work and the school together: Ravi Varma and oleographs, Abanindranath and Bharat Mata, Nandalal Bose and the Haripura posters, Amrita Sher-Gil as the modernist bridge to later art
- Exam caution: do not treat the Bengal School as a purely Bengali phenomenon; it had followers at Lucknow, Madras and Lahore and became a national symbol of art revival
- Legacy: its stress on Indian themes influenced later Santiniketan artists and the postcolonial debate on how modern Indian art should relate to tradition
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Artist to work: Bharat Mata to Abanindranath, Shakuntala to Ravi Varma
- Technique: wash
- Centre: Santiniketan
- Havell role: principal in Calcutta
- Common errors: giving Bharat Mata to Ravi Varma or calling the Bengal School an academic realism school
As an analytical point, Ravi Varma made art popular, while the Bengal School made art nationalist. Their debate between realism and tradition shaped the later path of Indian modern art and the meaning of authenticity.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Artists Name and work
- Technique Wash style
- Context Swadeshi nationalism
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the Progressive Artists’ Group and the contemporary art of independent India. Next topic: Contemporary Paintings (Progressive Artists’ Group).
Key People and Terms
- Oleograph Colour print on canvas texture
- Wash Thin watercolour layer
- Kala Bhavana Santiniketan art college
- Swadeshi Home-made movement
- Academic realism European style training
- Bharat Mata Abanindranath painting
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Bharat Mata: Abanindranath Tagore, 1905.
- Ravi Varma: oil and oleographs.
- Bengal School: wash technique.
- Nandalal Bose: Haripura posters, 1938.
- Principal who helped: E. B. Havell.
Do Not Confuse With
- Ravi Varma and Bengal School Realistic oils versus revivalist wash
- Bengal School and Santiniketan A school of art versus its main teaching centre
- Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Brothers with different styles
Memory Hook
Ravi Varma paints in oil; Abanindranath washes Bharat Mata in water.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the debate on tradition and modernity. These points give a frame.
- Nationalism Art and swadeshi
- Tradition versus modernity Realism versus revival
- Popular art Prints
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the role of the Bengal School in the nationalist art movement and its differences from the Ravi Varma tradition.”
How to Answer
- Intro Context of 1900s.
- Ravi Varma Oil and prints.
- Bengal School Wash, themes, Havell.
- Close Legacy.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Raja Ravi Varma?
Raja Ravi Varma (1848 to 1906) was a painter from Kilimanoor in Travancore, Kerala, who painted Hindu mythological scenes in European oil realism. His works such as Shakuntala and Galaxy of Musicians were reproduced as oleographic prints at his press, making Hindu gods widely familiar.
What is the Bengal School of painting?
The Bengal School is the early 20th-century nationalist movement in Indian painting led by Abanindranath Tagore. It revived Indian themes and used a soft wash technique, drawing on Mughal, Ajanta and Japanese influences, as a reaction against Western academic realism. Its centre moved to Santiniketan.
Who painted Bharat Mata?
Bharat Mata was painted by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905, in the early years of the Swadeshi movement. It shows a four-armed woman in saffron holding a book, sheaves of rice, a piece of cloth and a rosary, and is the best known work of the Bengal School.
What was the role of E. B. Havell?
E. B. Havell was the principal of the Government School of Art in Calcutta who supported Indian tradition and encouraged students to learn from Mughal and Ajanta art rather than only European models. His support helped Abanindranath Tagore establish the Bengal School.
What is the difference between Ravi Varma and the Bengal School?
Ravi Varma painted mythology in realistic European oil technique and popularised it through prints. The Bengal School rejected that academic style and revived Indian traditions through delicate wash painting, with spiritual and nationalist themes, and it focused on original paintings rather than mass prints.
Why are modern painters important for UPSC?
Prelims asks which artist made which work and who led which school, while Mains asks about art and nationalism. Remember Ravi Varma for oils and oleographs, Abanindranath for Bharat Mata and the wash technique, Nandalal Bose for the Haripura posters and Constitution art, and Havell as principal.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Bharat Mata was painted by Abanindranath Tagore.
In 1905.
2 Ravi Varma founded the Bengal School.
Abanindranath Tagore did.
3 The Bengal School used the wash technique.
Influenced by Japanese art.
4 Nandalal Bose was associated with Santiniketan.
He led Kala Bhavana.
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