1. In Bengal, a new group of nationalist artists gathered around Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951), rejected the art of Ravi Varma as imitative and westernised.

• They felt that a genuine Indian style of painting had to draw inspiration from non-Western art traditions and try to capture the spiritual essence of the East.
• They turned for inspiration to medieval Indian traditions of miniature painting and the ancient art of mural painting in the Ajanta caves.
• They were influenced by Rajput miniatures.
• They were also influenced by the art of Japanese artists who visited India at that time to develop an Asian art movement.

2. After the 1920s, a new generation of artists began to break away from the style of Abanindranath Tagore.

• Some thought that spiritualism
• Some thought that spiritualism could not be seen as the central feature of Indian culture.
• They felt that artists had to explore real-life instead of illustrating ancient books.
• Look for inspiration from living folk art and tribal designs.

3. As the debates continued, new movements of art grew and styles of art changed.