📘 Maharashtra State Board – Standard IX

English Kumarbharati

Chapter 3.2 – Reading Works of Art

Summary of the Lesson

This lesson is divided into two parts. The first part is about the famous artist Sayed Haider Raza, popularly known as Raza. It gives information about his personal life, early education, artistic journey, and the awards he received. His choice of colours, patterns, geometric shapes, and combinations are described in detail. The lesson explains how his paintings reflect his inner thoughts rather than copying real-life scenes.

The second part sheds light on Gond art. The Gonds are the largest Adivasi community in India. They are Dravidians whose origin can be traced back to the pre-Aryan era. They are mainly found in Madhya Pradesh and the surrounding states. The word ‘Gond’ comes from ‘Kond’, which means green mountains in the Dravidian language. The lesson also explains the natural colours and materials used in Gond art and the mediums on which it is created.

🎨 Warming Up!

1. Complete the following idioms using the appropriate colour term.

(blue, black, green, red)

give someone _____ a look
(a look of anger, dislike, etc.)
Ans: give someone a black look.

out of the _____
(suddenly, unexpectedly)
Ans: out of the blue.

the _____ sheep (of the family)
(a person who brings disgrace to the family)
Ans: the black sheep (of the family).

once in a _____ moon
(very rarely)
Ans: once in a blue moon.

a _____ list
(a list of defaulters)
Ans: a black list.

vanish into the _____
(leave without any trace)
Ans: vanish into the blue.

a _____ belt
(area of fields, woods, etc. around a city)
Ans: a green belt.

_____ blood
(royal blood, aristocratic origin)
Ans: blue blood.

to have _____ fingers
(be good at gardening)
Ans: to have green fingers.

_____ eyed boy
(favourite person)
Ans: a blue-eyed boy.

be _____ with envy
(feel very jealous)
Ans: be green with envy.

catch someone _____ handed
(catch someone in the act of doing something wrong)
Ans: catch someone red-handed.

give someone/get the _____ signal
(give/get permission to do something)
Ans: give someone/get the green signal.

roll out the _____ carpet
(give a special welcome)
Ans: roll out the red carpet.

a bolt from the _____
(a sudden shock, surprise)
Ans: a bolt from the blue.

a _____ herring
(something that diverts attention from the main issue)
Ans: a red herring.

see _____
(become angry)
Ans: see red.

2. What are you reminded of when you think of the following colours?

purple
Ans: I am reminded of royalty and wisdom.

orange
Ans: I am reminded of warmth and confidence.

yellow
Ans: I am reminded of hope and energy.

pink
Ans: I am reminded of love and kindness.

white
Ans: I am reminded of purity and innocence.

📝 ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Spot the error in the spelling of the following words with reference to the passage and rewrite them correctly.

(i) renouned
Ans: renowned

(ii) feetures
Ans: features

(iii) tribel
Ans: tribal

(iv) circals
Ans: circles

(v) geomatric
Ans: geometric

(vi) figars
Ans: figures

(vii) mithology
Ans: mythology

(viii) acheiving
Ans: achieving

(ix) penting
Ans: painting

(x) innar
Ans: inner

(xi) erthen
Ans: earthen

(xii) diffarent
Ans: different

(xiii) vilage
Ans: village

(xiv) mediam
Ans: medium

(xv) dicided
Ans: decided

2. Complete the following with reference to the passage.

Ans:

Raza’s paintings are based on abstract art. They reflect his inner experiences and involvement with nature and form. His work is not a copy of the external world but an expression of his thoughts and emotions.

3. Complete the following diagram.

Ans:

The important features include:

Use of geometric shapes like circles, triangles and squares
Bright and bold colours
The concept of ‘Bindu’ as the central point
Expression of inner thoughts

4. Complete the following with reference to the passage.

(a) Raza’s paintings do not depict _____ .
Ans: Raza’s paintings do not depict life-like human figures or copies of scenes from his surroundings.

(b) Raza’s paintings are done in the _____ style.
Ans: Raza’s paintings are done in the abstract style.

(d) Raza’s paintings present images from his own _____ .
Ans: Raza’s paintings present images from his own inner mind.

(e) Raza’s paintings radiate _____ .
Ans: Raza’s paintings radiate peace and life at the same time.

(f) The _____ became the core of Raza’s paintings.
Ans: The ‘Bindu’ became the core of Raza’s paintings.

(g) For an artist like Raza, his work or paintings are an effective _____ .
Ans: For an artist like Raza, his paintings are an effective medium of communication.

5. Write about the following important features of Gond art with the help of the passage.

Ans: Gond art uses natural colours prepared from flowers, leaves, charcoal, soil and other natural materials. The paintings are usually drawn on walls, floors or paper. The art form is passed down from one generation to another. Gond paintings often depict nature, animals, birds and scenes from daily life. They are colourful, detailed and full of life.

6. Why does the author think that the roots of folk art lie in women’s chores?

Ans: The author thinks that the roots of folk art lie in women’s chores because women traditionally decorated the walls and floors of their homes using natural colours. They created beautiful patterns and designs while doing their daily household work. Over time, this practice developed into a form of folk art.

7. From the passages, list the words related to –

(a) geometry
Ans: circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, lines, dots.

(b) colours
Ans: red, blue, orange, green.

8. Compare the points with those you used for a book review and the review of a play. Present the comparison in the form of a chart.

Book Review	Review of a Play	Review of a Painting
Title of the book	Name of the play	Name of the artist
Author	Actors/Actresses	Theme or subject matter
Genre	Theme	Type of art
Setting	Climax	Individual style
Characters	Stage presentation	Presentation techniques
Central idea	Use of lights/music	Medium used
Publisher	Costumes and make-up	Colour composition
Personal opinion	Personal opinion	Message and interpretation

9. Using the information given in the passage, write a short note on the following in your mother tongue.

(a) The paintings of Raza

Ans (In English):
Sayed Haider Raza was a famous Indian painter who later settled in France. He developed the concept of ‘Bindu’ in his art. His paintings reflect Indian culture, spirituality and abstract ideas. He founded the Raza Foundation in India to promote art. His early works included landscapes, but later he moved towards abstract art.

(b) Gond art

Ans (In English):
Gond art is a traditional tribal art form practised by the Gond community. It is closely connected with nature and daily life. Natural colours are used to create lively and detailed designs. Gond paintings are often made during festivals and special occasions.

10. Gather information on any one of the following and write a short note on it in English.

(i) A special type of embroidery

Ans: Chikankari
Chikankari is a delicate and beautiful style of embroidery that originated in Lucknow. It is believed to have been introduced during the Mughal period. Traditionally, it was done using white thread on white cloth, but today it is made using different fabrics and colours. The designs are first printed on the cloth and then embroidered carefully by skilled artisans.

11. Find one example of each from the passages.

(i) Adjective Clause
Ans: “My work is my own inner experience and involvement with the mysteries of nature and form which is expressed in colour, line, space and light.”
Linking word: which

(ii) Adverb Clause
Ans: “They originate when the artist tries to peep into his own inner mind.”
Linking word: when

(iii) Noun Clause
Ans: “We realise that the painting is a visible form of very deep thought.”
Linking word: that