Q. Consider the following statements:

1. During medieval era, one of the reasons of development of paintings in various states was large scale decommissioning of painters in Mughal court
2. The paintings of Rajasthani Schools are predominantly having mythological themes from epics.

Which of the above is / are correct?
Answer: Only 1
Notes: Aurangzeb’s lack of interest in painting led to a dispersal of the artisans to different places of the country. This large scale decommissioning was also influenced by various measures of economy that were adopted to deal with tightening financial situation of the empire. However, this dispersal helped in the development of paintings in the states of Rajasthan and Punjab hills, where various Rajput states patronised these migrant painters. In Mughal paintings, hunting, court scenes, battles and animals were the dominant themes. The Rajasthan style of painting combined the themes and earlier traditions of western India of Jain School of painting with Mughal forms and styles. In addition to hunting and court scenes, it had paintings on mythological themes, such as the dalliance of Krishna with Radha, the barah-masa (seasons) or the ragas (melodies). The Pahari schools continued this tradition.