Who is not related to the PAG?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4: Raja Ravi Verma.
The Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) was an influential collective founded in Bombay in 1947 by a group of six avant-garde artists. This group was formed with the express purpose of breaking away from the revivalist, nationalistic, and traditional artistic styles that dominated India at the time, establishing a new, modern Indian art rooted in an international, post-colonial aesthetic. Raja Ravi Verma (1848–1906), although one of the greatest and most celebrated Indian painters in history, predates the PAG by several decades and is actually associated with the very academic, Euro-Indian style that the PAG sought to challenge and move past. Therefore, he was historically and stylistically separate from the group, which officially dissolved in 1956.

The incorrect option is 1:
F. N. Souza is incorrectly listed as not related to the PAG because he was, in fact, the chief instigator and one of the *six founding members* of the group in 1947. Souza served as the de facto leader and the group’s initial manifesto, written by him, clearly outlined their rebellious and modernist vision. His expressionistic, raw, and often provocative style was central to the PAG’s mission to redefine art for an independent India. His early departure to London in 1949 was a major factor in the group's eventual disintegration, but his foundational role is indisputable.

The incorrect option is 2:
S. H. Raza is incorrectly listed as not related to the PAG because he was another one of the *founding members* who helped establish the group in 1947. Raza was instrumental in the early exhibitions and activities of the PAG before moving to Paris for further studies. His artistic journey, moving from post-Impressionist landscapes to his iconic geometric and abstract *Bindu* paintings, perfectly exemplifies the modernist, internationalist spirit the group promoted. He is counted among the core members of the group.

The incorrect option is 3:
M. F. Hussain is incorrectly listed as not related to the PAG because he was a key *founding member* of the collective in 1947. Often referred to as the 'Picasso of India,' Hussain’s work—characterized by his dynamic, narrative brushwork and the synthesis of Indian mythological and folk themes with Western modernist techniques like Cubism—was essential to the PAG's visibility and success. He was one of the members who continued the group’s activities in India for several years after the original founders began to move abroad, cementing his place in the PAG's history.