RAS question
The Marwar School of painting is known for:
Correct answer: (B) Equestrian portraits and desert landscapes.
The Marwar or Jodhpur School of painting is known for equestrian portraits, desert settings, bold colours, Rathore-warrior imagery and Ragamala paintings.
Explanation
Marwar painting is identified with Jodhpur and the Rathore cultural world, so equestrian imagery is central to its visual language. The school is associated with bold colours, portraits of Rathore rulers on horseback, desert landscapes and Ragamala paintings, and it developed with less Mughal influence than the Dhundhar school. NCERT, Unity in Cultural Diversity describes Jodhpur as having a strong folk tradition, with robust warriors and dainty women, Dhola-Maru on camel back, and hunting scenes filled with horses and elephants dominating Marwar-region paintings. That is why the option combining equestrian portraits with desert landscapes best captures the school’s recognised identity.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Chinese landscape influence does not fit Marwar painting; there is no Chinese influence, while NCERT places Marwar within Rajasthan’s local miniature traditions.
- (C) Marwar is not limited to Krishna themes because it includes Rathore equestrian portraits, desert landscapes and Ragamala paintings, and NCERT also mentions Dhola-Maru and hunting scenes.
- (D) European style is wrong because Marwar is indigenous and relatively less shaped by outside court influence, not a Europeanised school.
Concept
This tests the RAS art-and-culture concept of identifying Rajasthan’s regional painting schools by their themes, patrons and stylistic markers. It recurs because questions often contrast Marwar with Mughal-influenced Jaipur-Bikaner and with other schools such as Kishangarh or Kota-Bundi.