Abdur Rahman Chughtai

Abdur Rahman Chughtai is inarguably one of the most important and distinguished Pakistani artists of the 20^th century. He was a prominent member of the Swadeshi movement which was committed to depicting art with indigenous themes. He trained at the Mayo College of Art in Lahore yet was also an adherent of the Bengal and Santiniketan School styles of painting in India. Chughtai led a group of artists known as the Lahore Orientalists, who attempted to formulate their own version of a 'National' art style. Chughtai fused influences from diverse fields to forge a unique brand of modernism instilled with symbolic elements from classical Islamic and Indian traditions. According to him, only by recognising one’s roots, can one develop an innate artistic identity. His paintings portrayed icons from literature and history, characters from beloved Punjabi folk tales as well as Hindu and Buddhist mythological themes.

Born into a family of court painters and descending from a lineage of artisans, only the finest materials were employed in Chughtai's works, resulting in paintings of the highest quality. He was particularly interested in the revival of Mughal aesthetics, as can be seen in the current lot, as he adopts his characteristic side profile and renders the facial features, hands and adornments of the female subject using fine lines and intricate details. Chughtai’s work is also notable for its luminous and meditative palette as evidenced here. The lady, both elegant and poised, draws the viewer's eye and successfully divides the background from the foreground. Chughtai cleverly uses colour to create perspective as the goats recede in the distance.

The artist also found inspiration in a variety of sources including Japanese prints, Art Nouveau graphics, and the mystical Persian love poetry of Omar Khayyam. While at the time of Independence, Chughtai was considered one of India's greatest artists, after Partition, he became known as Pakistan's national artist and today has a unique position of being celebrated all over South Asia.