"Santhal Family" and "Yaksha-Yakshini" are titles of famous sculptures created by:

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Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:
Ram Kinkar Baij is universally recognized as the sculptor behind both the "Santhal Family" and "Yaksha-Yakshini," distinguishing him as a pivotal figure in modern Indian art. The "Santhal Family," created in 1938, is a massive, pioneering outdoor sculpture made of cement and laterite mortar, located in Santiniketan. It is hailed as India's first public modernist sculpture, notable for its raw, dynamic energy and its dignifying portrayal of a migrating tribal family. His "Yaksha-Yakshini" pair, commissioned for the Reserve Bank of India in New Delhi, are towering figures that masterfully blend the monumental scale of ancient Indian yaksha art with a contemporary, Expressionistic style. They symbolize the nation's financial strength and the twin pillars of agriculture and industry, cementing Baij's legacy as an artist who rooted modernism in Indian reality.

The incorrect option is 1:
Shankho Choudhary was an eminent Indian sculptor who was, in fact, one of Ram Kinkar Baij's own disciples at Santiniketan. While he significantly contributed to modern Indian sculpture, his work generally moved towards abstract and minimalist forms, characterized by a refined, sleek finish. His focus was less on the expressionistic, socially charged realism seen in Baij’s masterpieces and more on formal, spatial arrangements. Therefore, the distinctly expressionist and robustly material sculptures mentioned in the question are not attributed to him.

The incorrect option is 2:
Dhan Raj Bhagat was a key figure in the Delhi art scene and headed the sculpture department at Delhi Polytechnic. His work showcased a wide range of materials and styles, moving from figurative studies to highly stylized and abstract compositions, especially in wood and metal. Although he held an influential position in modern Indian art history and created notable works like the Nataraja forms, his artistic career is geographically and stylistically distinct from the pioneering public commissions of Ram Kinkar Baij in Bengal and New Delhi. He is not the creator of the "Santhal Family" or "Yaksha-Yakshini."

The incorrect option is 4:
Pradosh Das Gupta was a leading sculptor from Bengal and a founding member of the Calcutta Group, which advocated for a modern, internationalist art approach in India. His sculptures primarily focused on the psychological and emotional states of the human figure, often rendering the body in sinuous, fluid, and emotionally charged terms. Despite being a prominent figure in the Bengal art world, his oeuvre is known for works like 'The Kiss' and is stylistically different from Baij's monumental, overtly social, and site-specific public works. He did not create the "Santhal Family" or the "Yaksha-Yakshini."