Describe the paintings done by Robert Ker Porter on the battle of Seringapatam.
The celebration of British military triumph can be seen in the paintings of the battle of Seringapatam by Robert Ker Porter. This work depicts “the decisive victory of the British in their series of campaigns to seize control of southern India.
In these pictures the British troops are shown storming the fort from all sides, cutting Tipu's soldiers to pieces, climbing the walls, raising the British flag aloft on the ramparts of Tipu's fort. The paintings are full of action and energy. The painting dramatises the event and glorifies the British triumph.
Why did some artists produce cheap popular prints? What influence would such prints have had on the minds of people who looked at them?
In what way did the British history paintings in India reflect the attitudes of imperial conquerors?
Point out which of the following were brought in with British art:
(a) oil painting (b) miniatures (c) life-size portrait painting (d) use of perspective (e) mural art
1. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The art form which observed carefully and tried to capture exactly what the eye saw is called _________.
(b) The style of painting which showed Indian landscape as a quaint, unexplored land is called _________.
(c) Paintings which showed the social lives of Europeans in India are called _________.
(d) Paintings which depicted scenes from British imperial history and their victories are called _________.
Why did the scroll painters and potters come to Kalighat? Why did they begin to paint new themes?
Describe in your own words one painting from this chapter which suggests that the British were more powerful than Indians. How does the artist depict this?