๐ Chapter 04 ยท PYQs ยท Indian Paintings
Indian Paintings โ Previous Year Questions
UPSC, APPSC, and TGPSC previous year questions on Indian painting traditions with detailed answers.
With reference to the Mithila painting, which of the following statements is/are correct? (1) It is practised by women. (2) It uses natural dyes and pigments. (3) It has received a Geographical Indication tag. Select the correct answer:
- A) 1 and 2 only
- B) 2 and 3 only
- C) 1, 2 and 3
- D) 1 and 3 only
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Answer: C โ All three statements are correct. Madhubani/Mithila painting is traditionally practised by women, uses natural dyes, and received a GI tag in 2007.
With reference to the Kalamkari painting, which of the following statements is/are correct? (1) It is a hand-painted cotton textile in South India. (2) Only natural dyes are used in this painting. Select the correct answer:
- A) 1 only
- B) 2 only
- C) Both 1 and 2
- D) Neither 1 nor 2
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Answer: C โ Both statements are correct. Kalamkari is a hand-painted (or block-printed) cotton textile from South India (Andhra Pradesh), and traditionally uses only natural dyes.
The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari is different from the Machilipatnam style because:
- A) It uses block printing
- B) It is entirely hand-drawn using a bamboo pen
- C) It uses synthetic dyes
- D) It depicts only Islamic themes
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Answer: B โ The Srikalahasti style is entirely hand-drawn using a bamboo pen (kalam), while the Machilipatnam style uses block printing.
Consider the following pairs: (1) Pattachitra โ Odisha (2) Warli โ Maharashtra (3) Phad โ Rajasthan. Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A) 1 and 2 only
- B) 2 and 3 only
- C) 1 and 3 only
- D) 1, 2 and 3
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Answer: D โ All three pairs are correctly matched. Pattachitra is from Odisha, Warli from Maharashtra, and Phad from Rajasthan.
The Gond painting tradition is associated with which state?
- A) Jharkhand
- B) Madhya Pradesh
- C) Chhattisgarh
- D) Odisha
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Answer: B โ Gond painting is primarily associated with the Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh. Jangarh Singh Shyam is credited with bringing Gond art to mainstream recognition.
With reference to Mughal painting, the artist Ustad Mansur was known for his paintings of:
- A) Court scenes and portraits
- B) Animals and birds
- C) Battle scenes
- D) Religious manuscripts
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Answer: B โ Ustad Mansur was Jahangir’s court painter known for his remarkable naturalistic studies of animals and birds. He was given the title “Nadir-ul-Asr” (Wonder of the Age).
Tanjore painting is known for its use of which distinctive material?
- A) Natural vegetable dyes
- B) Gold foil and semi-precious stones
- C) Beetle-wing decoration
- D) Rice paste on mud walls
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Answer: B โ Tanjore (Thanjavur) painting is distinctive for its use of gold foil and semi-precious stones embedded in the surface, creating a rich, three-dimensional effect.
The Basohli school of painting is associated with which region?
- A) Rajasthan
- B) Himachal Pradesh
- C) Jammu and Kashmir
- D) Uttarakhand
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Answer: C โ The Basohli school is associated with Basohli in the Jammu region (now Jammu and Kashmir). It is the earliest Pahari painting school, known for its bold, intense colours.
The Phad painting tradition of Rajasthan depicts which folk heroes?
- A) Prithviraj Chauhan and Rana Pratap
- B) Pabuji and Devnarayan
- C) Mirabai and Kabir
- D) Tejaji and Gogaji
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Answer: B โ Phad paintings depict the folk heroes Pabuji and Devnarayan. They are used by Bhopa (priest-singers) as a backdrop during performance of the folk epics.
The Bodhisattva Padmapani, one of the most celebrated paintings in Indian art, is located in which cave at Ajanta?
- A) Cave 2
- B) Cave 1
- C) Cave 17
- D) Cave 10
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Answer: B โ The Bodhisattva Padmapani painting is located in Cave 1 at Ajanta. It depicts a Bodhisattva holding a blue lotus and is considered the finest painting at Ajanta.