Question

The painting named Ruins on the banks of the Ganges at Gazipur was painted by ______
A)Thomas Daniell
B)William Daniell
C)Johann Zoffany
D)George Wilson

Answer 1

Hint: A chain of European artists came to India along with the British in the eighteenth century. These artists began producing pictures of India in new themes and shaped the western perception of India, as these paintings were widely popular.

Complete answer:
Option A: Thomas Daniell, spent seven years in India he was an English Landscape painter. He was born in England in 1749. He arrived in Calcutta via Whampoa after sailing from Gravesend on 7th April with his nephew William Daniell. He brought with him the idea of realism i.e. to observe carefully while representing a painting. A new imperial style of art that developed was of picturesque landscape painting, Thomas Daniell and William Daniell mostly opted for this style of painting and In 1791 he painted the Ruins on the banks of the Ganges at Gazipur, which depicted India as a quaint land, with remains of an ancient civilisation that could only be modernized by the British. Their albums and large oil paintings were represented to selective audiences in Britain.
Option B: William Daniell, was the nephew of Thomas Daniell he accompanied his uncle to India.
Option C: Johann Zoffany, was a German neoclassical painter born in Frankfurt, Germany. This option is incorrect.
Option D: George Wilson, is an incorrect option.
Therefore, option A is correct.

Note: The British artists were inspired by various things and painted on varied subjects. However, the style used for painting reflected the landscape of India as rugged and wild and emphasized the superiority of Britain’s culture.