European artists came to India along with the British traders and rulers, who brought with them new styles and they began producing pictures which became widely popular in Europe and helped shape western perceptions of India.

Painting tradition and techniques brought by Europeans were:-

1. Idea of realism - this was a belief that artists had to observe carefully and depict faithfully what the eye saw. Thus, the art was expected to be look real and lifelike.

2. Technique of oil painting – It was not familiar with Indian artists. It enabled artists to produce images that looked real.

3. Picturesque Landscape painting – It depicted India as quaint land (attractively unusual or old-fashioned) to be explored by travelling British Artists. Its landscape was rugged and wild, seemingly untamed by human hands. For example- Thomas Daniel painted ‘Ruins on the banks of Ganges at Ghazipur’ between the 1785- 1792.

4. Technique of engravings – A picture printed onto paper from a piece of wood or metal into which the design or drawing has been cut. For example – The albums of engravings by Thomas Daniel and William Daniel were eagerly bought up by British public keen to know about Britain’s empire.

5. Style of Portraiture - The portraits of European artists were big unlike the miniature paintings of Medieval Indian paintings. The rich and the powerful – both British and Indian were painted on the big canvas- life size images, life like and real. For example – Johann Zoffany painted portrait of Governor General Hastings with his wife.

6. Tradition of Painting history – They were called history painting. This tradition sought to dramatize and recreate various episodes of British imperial history and thus celebrated their power, victories and supremacy. For example – Scenes after Battle of Plassey was painted by Francis Hayman, in which Robert Clive being welcomed by Mir Jafar and his troops in submissive way.

Reaction of Indian artists to imperial Art:-

1. New popular Indian art evolved – This art developed in many cities of India. For example – In Bengal, around the pilgrimage centre of the temple of Kalighat, local village scroll painters (called patuas) and potters began developing new style of art – use shading to give a rounded from to the flat figures or to make the images look three dimensional. Yet the images were not realistic and lifelike, rather they deliberately painted non-realistic – large and powerful figures with minimum of lines, details and colours.

2. Opposition to the British themes – Sometimes under picturesque landscape style, the ruins of local buildings were depicted, which were reminders of past glory, remains of an ancient civilisation. It was as if this decaying civilisation would change and modernise only through British Governance. The Image of British rule bringing modern civilisation to India is powerfully emphasised in the numerous pictures. For example - Making of new Calcutta with wide avenues, majestic European- style of building and new modes of transport, etc. were drawn along with the contrast image of traditional India - by Daniel’s in 1786.

3. Adoption of New themes – The native artists responded to the world around and produced painting on social and political themes, which was earlier restricted to religious and mythological themes. For example- Englishman on an elephant hunting a tiger, was depicted by Kalighat Painting.

4. Mocking and ridiculing of changing social norms– The Indian artists mad fun of the westernised baboos, criticised the corrupt priests and warned against moving out of their homes. They often expressed the anger of common people against the rich and the fear many people had about dramatic changes of social norms.

5. Painted mural paintings to show Indian pride – Rulers like Tipu Sultan, supported the local artists and encouraged local traditions. For example- Those local artists, painted the famous “Battle of Polilur of 1780”,in which Tipu and Haider Ali defeated the English troops.

6. Adopted new styles – In certain areas of India, the miniature artists adopted the tastes and artistic styles of the British. For example – The court Artists of Murshidabad, ruled by the puppet Nawabs painted and Eid procession with the new style of realism.

7. Use of Perspective was adopted – Perspective is the way that objects appear smaller when they are further away and the way parallel lines appear to meet each other at a point of distance. It was done with the help light and shade to make the figures look life like and real.

8. New Studios were set up – Many artists trained in British art school in new methods of life study, oil painting and print making- set up their presses. For example – Calcutta Art Studio was set up, produced life like images of eminent Bengali personalities. These presses helped in cheap production of prints.

9. Spread of Nationalist message – With the spread of Nationalism, popular prints began carrying nationalist messages. For example – Bharat Mata, appearing as goddess, carrying national flag or nationalist heroes sacrificing their head to the Mata and gods and goddesses slaughtering the British.

10. Search for national art – Many style tried to develop a style that could be considered both modern and Indian. For example – Raja Ravi Verma was one of the first artists who tried to create such style. He mastered the western art of oil painting and realistic life study, but painted themes from Indian mythology. His painting became very popular among Indian Princes, art collectors, their palace and art galleries.

On the other hand, in Bengal, a group of nationalist artists gathered around Abanindranath Tagore and rejected the art of Ravi Verma as imitative and
westernised. They tried to capture spiritual essence of east. They took inspiration from medieval Indian tradition of Miniature painting and the ancient art of mural paintings in Ajanata caves. They were also influenced by the art of Japanese artists who visited India to develop and Asian art movement.