Q: The well-known painting "Bani Thani" belongs to the
(a)Bundi school
(b)Jaipur school
(c)Kangra school
(d)Kishangarh school
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Painting & Visual Arts — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
10 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Painting & Visual Arts (Art & Culture). Spanning from 1995 to 2018. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
10
Questions
9
Years
8
Easy
2
Moderate
Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About Painting & Visual Arts
Ten questions between 1995-2018 reveal UPSC’s selective yet tricky approach toward Indian painting and visual arts. Expect identification of classical schools—Mughal, Deccan, Rajasthani, Pahari—through colour palette, perspective and patron dynasties. Folk and tribal arts (Madhubani, Warli, Kalamkari, Pattachitra) are favourite pair-matching fodder with state or GI tag. Manuscript illustrations, Buddhist thankas, and modern Indian artists (Abanindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, Raja Ravi Varma) have also appeared. UPSC sometimes links art to contemporaneous events: Swadeshi movement and Bengal School, or archaeological discovery of rock paintings. Studying iconography, brush technique, and socio-political context along with memorising practitioners ensures you don’t confuse Nainsukh with Gita Govinda miniatures or Jamini Roy with Kalighat pats.
Related Art & Culture Sub-topics
All Painting & Visual Arts Questions
Q: The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at
(a)Ajanta
(b)Badami
(c)Bagh
(d)Ellora
Q: Consider the following historical places : 1. Ajanta Caves 2. Lepakshi Temple 3. Sanchi Stupa Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings?
(a)1 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)1, 2 and 3
(d)None
Q: There are only two known examples of cave paintings of the Gupta period in ancient India. One of these is paintings of Ajanta caves. Where is the other surviving example of Gupta paintings?
(a)Bagh caves
(b)Ellora caves
(c)Lomas Rishi cave
(d)Nasik caves
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists: List I (Famous person) A. Amrita Sher-Gil B. Bhimsen Joshi C. Rukmini Devi Arundale D. Suryakant Tripathi Nirala List II (Well-known as) 1. Dancer 2. Painter 3. Poet 4. Singer
(a)A-2 B-1 C-4 D-3
(b)A-2 B-4 C-1 D-3
(c)A-3 B-1 C-4 D-2
(d)A-3 B-4 C-1 D-2
Q: Consider the following famous names: 1. Amrita Sher-Gil 2. Bikash Bhattacharjee 3. N. S. Bendre 4. Subodh Gupta Who of the above is/are well known as artist(s)?
(a)1 only
(b)1 and 4 only
(c)2, 3 and 4 only
(d)1, 2, 3 and 4
Q: Raghu Rai is well known for which one of the following areas?
(a)Environment protection
(b)Olympic Games
(c)Journalism
(d)Civil aviation
Q: The paintings of Abanindranath Tagore are classified as
(a)realistic
(b)socialistic
(c)revivalistic
(d)impressionistic
Q: Mughal painting reached its zenith under
(a)Humayun
(b)Akbar
(c)Jahangir
(d)Shahjahan
Q: The Mughal School of Painting formed the spinal column of the various schools of Indian miniature art. Which one of the following painting styles was not affected by Mughal painting?
(a)Pahari
(b)Rajasthani
(c)Kangra
(d)Kalighata
Frequently Asked Questions
How to differentiate Mughal and Rajput miniature styles quickly?▼
Remember three Cs—Colour, Composition, Context: Mughal uses subdued, natural shades, realistic portraiture and Persianate gardens; Rajput employs vibrant primary colours, bold outlines and themes from epics or Krishna bhakti.
Do I need to study modern art movements for Prelims?▼
Yes, but selectively: cover Bengal School, Progressive Artists Group and government institutions like Lalit Kala Akademi; questions tend to revolve around founders, ideology and landmark exhibitions rather than deep aesthetics.