UPSC Prelims 2018 Q42: Art & Culture – Painting & Visual Arts
- (a) Bundi school
- (b) Jaipur school
- (c) Kangra school
- (d) Kishangarh school
Answer: (d) Kishangarh school
Explanation
Bani Thani Painting - Which School?
'Bani Thani' is a famous Rajasthani miniature painting created by Nihal Chand in the mid-18th century in the court of Raja Sawant Singh of Kishangarh. It is often called the 'Mona Lisa of India' for its distinctive stylised beauty.
| Option | Correct? |
|---|---|
| (a) Bundi school | NO - Bundi is known for hunting/court scenes with green backgrounds. |
| (b) Jaipur school | NO - Jaipur school known for durbar scenes and portraits. |
| (c) Kangra school | NO - Kangra (Pahari school) known for Radha-Krishna themes with soft naturalism. |
| (d) Kishangarh school | YES - Bani Thani is the defining masterpiece of the Kishangarh school. |
Distinctive features: Elongated face, arched eyebrows, thin lips, sharp nose, half-closed lotus eyes, long slender neck. The subject was reportedly a court singer-poet of the Kishangarh queen, and Raja Sawant Singh (pen-name Nagari Das) was infatuated with her.
Answer: (d) Kishangarh school.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Bundi school is characterised by hunting scenes, elephants, and lush green landscapes, not Bani Thani.
- (b) Incorrect. Jaipur school specialised in durbar scenes and formal portraits of Rajput royalty.
- (c) Incorrect. Kangra school of the Pahari tradition depicts Radha-Krishna and Ashtanayika themes with soft naturalism.
- (d) CORRECT. Bani Thani, by Nihal Chand in the court of Kishangarh's Raja Sawant Singh (Nagari Das), is the iconic Kishangarh school painting.
Key point
Bani Thani = Kishangarh school. Artist: Nihal Chand, ~1750s. Patron: Raja Sawant Singh (pen name 'Nagari Das'). Nicknamed 'Mona Lisa of India'. Distinctive elongated face, arched brows, half-closed lotus eyes.
Remember
Bani Thani is the defining painting of the Kishangarh school of Rajasthani miniature painting, created by Nihal Chand in the mid-18th century under the patronage of Raja Sawant Singh (pen-name Nagari Das). It is celebrated for its distinctive stylised female figure with elongated face, arched eyebrows and half-closed lotus eyes, and is often called the 'Mona Lisa of India'.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Rajasthani schools - Mewar (Chittor style), Bundi (green hunting scenes), Kishangarh (Bani Thani), Jaipur (durbar portraits), Marwar (Jodhpur bold reds).
- Placing Bani Thani in the Pahari (Kangra/Basohli) school - Bani Thani is Rajasthani, not Pahari.
- Missing the patron - Raja Sawant Singh under his pen-name Nagari Das commissioned/inspired this style.
Exam tip
Rajasthani school signatures: Kishangarh (Bani Thani, elongated features), Mewar (Ragamala, religious themes), Bundi (green hunting/darbar), Jaipur (durbar portraits), Marwar (bold reds). Pahari = Basohli + Kangra.
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 - An Introduction to Indian Art Part I (Chapter on Miniature Painting)
- Eric Dickinson and Karl Khandalavala — Kishangarh Painting (Lalit Kala Akademi, 1959)