The correct option is Abanindranath Tagore.
Explanation
The Indian Society of Oriental Art was a significant institution established in the early 20th century to revive indigenous Indian artistic traditions and promote the Bengal School of Art, serving as a counter-narrative to the Western academic realism prevalent in British art schools.
Detailed Analysis:
- Abanindranath Tagore: He was the principal founding figure of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, established in 1907 in Calcutta. Along with his brother Gaganendranath Tagore, he founded the society to encourage modern Indian art inspired by Mughal miniatures, Rajput styles, and Ajanta murals. The society organized exhibitions and published the journal Rupam to disseminate Indian art theories.
- E. B. Havell: As the Principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta, Havell was instrumental in revising the curriculum to include Indian techniques and worked closely with Abanindranath Tagore. While a key mentor and collaborator in the movement, the specific founding of the Society is primarily attributed to the Tagore brothers.
- Ananda Coomaraswamy: He was a pioneering art historian and philosopher who interpreted Indian art and aesthetics for a global audience (e.g., Rajput Painting), but he was not the founder of this specific society.
- Raja Ravi Varma: He is renowned for blending European academic realism with Indian mythological themes. The movement led by the Indian Society of Oriental Art largely emerged as a reaction against the Westernized style that Varma popularized.
Key Takeaway: The Indian Society of Oriental Art (1907) was founded by Abanindranath Tagore (and Gaganendranath Tagore) to institutionalize the Swadeshi values in Indian art, marking the rise of the Bengal School.