The Bengal School And Cultural Nationalism

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to arrange four key figures associated with the Bengal School of Art in chronological order based on their birth dates.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
To establish the correct order, we need to know the birth year of each individual:
(C) E. B. Havell: Ernest Binfield Havell, the British art administrator who promoted the Bengal School, was born in 1861.
(B) Abanindranath Tagore: The founder of the Bengal School, was born in 1871.
(D) Kshitindranath Majumdar: A prominent student of Abanindranath Tagore and a key artist of the Bengal School, was born in 1891.
(A) Abdul Rehman Chughtai: An artist associated with the Bengal School style, was born in 1897 (some sources say 1899).
Arranging them from the earliest to the latest birth year gives the sequence: E. B. Havell Abanindranath Tagore Kshitindranath Majumdar Abdul Rehman Chughtai. This corresponds to the order (C), (B), (D), (A).

Step 4: Final Answer:
Based on their birth years, the correct chronological order is (C) E. B. Havell, (B) Abanindranath Tagore, (D) Kshitindranath Majumdar, (A) Abdul Rehman Chughtai.

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Bengal School of Art was an influential art movement and style of Indian painting that originated in the early 20th century in Calcutta and Shantiniketan. It was a nationalist movement that reacted against the Western academic art styles promoted during the British Raj and sought to establish a distinct modern Indian identity in art.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951) is credited as the principal artist and founder of the Bengal School. He, along with the support of the British arts administrator E. B. Havell, rejected Western realism and encouraged students to draw inspiration from indigenous Indian art forms like Mughal miniatures, Rajput paintings, and Ajanta frescoes. His vision was to create a new art style that was spiritually and culturally Indian. While his uncle, Rabindranath Tagore, was a great patron of the arts, it was Abanindranath who led the artistic movement.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The founder of the Bengal School of painting style was Abanindranath Tagore.

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks to identify the artist commissioned by Mahatma Gandhi to create a series of posters for the 1938 Indian National Congress session at Haripura.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In 1938, Mahatma Gandhi wanted the art for the Haripura Congress session to reflect the life of rural India. He personally commissioned Nandalal Bose, a student of Abanindranath Tagore and a leading figure of the Bengal School, for this task. Nandalal Bose created a celebrated series of posters known as the "Haripura Posters." These works, painted on handmade paper, are famous for their bold, calligraphic brushstrokes and vibrant colours, depicting scenes of everyday rural life like musicians, farmers, and artisans. This project was a landmark in modern Indian art, linking it directly with the nationalist movement.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Nandalal Bose painted the Haripura posters.

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the founder of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, an influential institution associated with the Bengal School of Art.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The Indian Society of Oriental Art was established in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1907. It was founded by a group of artists and European art connoisseurs to promote and develop a modern art movement based on traditional Indian art forms, moving away from the styles promoted by the British. While his brother Gaganendranath Tagore was also a key founder and played a significant administrative role, Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist, teacher, and ideological leader of the entire movement that the society was created to support. He is widely regarded as the "father" of the Bengal School, and his artistic vision was the driving force behind the society's creation. Therefore, in the context of the artistic movement, Abanindranath is considered the primary founding figure. E.B. Havell was a British supporter and ideologue who collaborated with Tagore, while Rabindranath Tagore was not directly involved in the society's founding.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Abanindranath Tagore was the leading figure and founder of the Indian Society of Oriental Art.

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks about the artistic sources that inspired the founders of the Bengal School of Art, a key movement in modern Indian art.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
E.B. Havell, the principal of the Government College of Art in Calcutta, and the artist Abanindranath Tagore were the main proponents of the Bengal School. They rejected the Western Academic style of art (Option 1) that was being taught in British art schools in India, considering it materialistic and unsuitable for expressing Indian spiritual ideas. They argued for a revival of an authentic Indian art style. To do this, they turned to India's own artistic heritage for inspiration. Their primary sources of inspiration were the grace, delicate lines, and themes of Mughal and Pahari miniature paintings, as well as the ancient murals of Ajanta. These traditions represented the aesthetic and spiritual values they sought to revive in a modern context.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The Mughal and Pahari miniature styles were a major source of inspiration for Abanindranath Tagore and E.B. Havell.