Previous Year Question

The Indian Society of Oriental Art was established in Calcutta in 1907 with the objective of promoting Indian and Oriental art and reviving the artistic traditions of India.

Abanindranath Tagore played a central role in establishing the Society. His brother Gaganendranath Tagore was also among its founding members. E. B. Havell provided important encouragement to the formation of the Society.

The Society was closely associated with the emerging Bengal School of Art. This art movement sought inspiration from indigenous Indian painting traditions, particularly Mughal, Rajput and other Asian artistic traditions, rather than directly imitating Western Academic Realism.

Abanindranath Tagore is regarded as a leading exponent of the Bengal School. His celebrated work ‘Bharat Mata’ is an important example of Indian nationalist art during the Swadeshi period.

Here, Nandalal Bose is an important distractor. He was a leading Bengal School artist and a student of Abanindranath and was later associated with art teaching in the Society.