Page 29 - Iconic Masters October2023

Lot No. 18
ABDUR RAHMAN CHUGHTAI
1897-1975
UNTITLED
22.4 in x 18.1 in (57 x 46 cm)
Watercolour on card

` 30,00,000 - 40,00,000
$ 35,294 - 47,059

Provenance: Property from an international collection.
Artwork was acquired by the present owner from
Bonhams in 2010. Originally from the collection of
Dr S. M. Ikram, Pakistan.

Born in 1897 in Lahore, Abdur Rahman Chughtai was
an acclaimed Pakistani artist, writer and printmaker
born into a family of craftspersons and architects.
Considered the national artist of Pakistan and one of
the most important modern Muslim artists to emerge
from South Asia, his contribution to Modern Art is
incomparable. His art education began with being
taught the art of naqqashi, a way of creating repoussé
on metal, by his uncle at his local mosque. He then went
on to study at the Railway Technical School in Lahore.
He then joined the Mayo School of Art in 1911, after which
he had a brief stint working as a drawing teacher and
photographer. He would then join Mayo School as the
head instructor in the chromo-lithography department.

He was best known for his unique visual language,
representative of South Asian culture, that fused many
of his influences including Art Nouveau, Mughal art,
traditional miniature paintings and Islamic art. He would
create scenes from folklore from Punjab and Persia,
Mughal history and religious texts, portraying persons
of note. His vast oeuvre, created through 60 years of
his career, consists of several thousand pencil works,
over 2000 watercolours, and over 300 aquatints and
etchings.

He received several awards for his captivating works
including the Presidential Medal for Pride of Performance
(1968), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (1960) and was awarded the title of
Khan Bahadur (1934). His distinct visual language was
admired throughout the world, earning appreciation
from famous figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, artist
Pablo Picasso and writer Allama Iqbal among others.

Today, his works are housed in several noteworthy
public and private collections around the world.