Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1894 - 1975)

Gifted to the owner by the artist circa 1965

Thence by descent

Good overall condition. Faint crease to upper right corner. Colors are deeper and richer than in catalog illustration.
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Abdur Rahman Chughtai was a prominent artist of the Swadeshi movement which was committed to indigenous themes. He trained at the Mayo College of Art in Lahore but was also adherent of the Bengal and Shantiniketan School styles of painting in the early 20th century. Born into a family of court painters, he was particularly interested in the revival of Mughal aesthetics, as can be seen in his fine use of delicate line and rich colour, particularly in the facial features of the female subject. This work is notable for its lightness and ephemerality. 

Chughtai evolved a new style of painting in Lahore and 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 infused with symbolic elements that had roots in the classical Islamic and Indian traditions. His intense yet lyrical paintings portrayed icons from literature and history, characters from beloved Punjabi folk tales as well as Hindu and Buddhist mythological themes. Beyond miniature painting, Chughtai 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.