Correct Option
The correct option is 1 and 3 only.
Explanation
Jamini Roy (1887-1972) was a pioneering figure in Modern Indian Art. His artistic journey is defined by a conscious rejection of Western academic realism and the sentimentalism of the Bengal School in favor of the robust, simplified forms of Bengal’s folk art traditions, specifically the Kalighat Pat and wooden toys.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct. Jamini Roy received formal training in the Western academic style at the Government School of Art, Calcutta. However, by the mid-1920s, he became disillusioned with this style. He rejected the complex, three-dimensional rendering of European realism and the "bourgeois" nature of academic art to seek a visual language rooted in the indigenous culture of rural Bengal.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect. Roy did not consider Bengal folk art inferior. On the contrary, he found the bold lines, flat colors, and expressive simplicity of folk art (such as the Kalighat paintings) to be more vital and authentic than European academic realism. He believed that the folk idiom captured the essence of Indian life more effectively than imported Western techniques.
- Statement 3 is Correct. Although Roy sought to emulate the "anonymity" and collective spirit of village artisans by adopting their techniques and using cheap local materials, he remained a modern artist operating within the gallery system. Unlike traditional village artisans who rarely signed their works, Jamini Roy signed his paintings, asserting his identity as an individual creator.
Key Takeaway
Jamini Roy is celebrated for his "primitivism," characterized by the adoption of the flat, linear style of Bengal folk art as a reaction against Western academic art, marking a significant shift towards indigenous modernism in India.