Chughtai’s pictorial symbolism often refers to the romance of an absentee lover, rooted in the passionate verses of literary geniuses like Iqbal. Perhaps even more so, since both suffered from discontented consequences of unrequited love, which led to their idolisation of women as ethereal beings of intense mystery. In the present untitled lot, Chughtai creates the image of a sensuous doe-eyed beauty, lost in amorous contemplation that apparently brings a smile to her face that she tries to hide behind a raised hand. From her attire the woman appears to be of Kazakh descent as she wears the traditional ‘tantour’ consisting of a tall headgear covered in veil, as the furnished image implicates. It is a known fact that Chughtai based his art on the three point ideal of draughtsmanship, research and improvisation as all of his masterpieces project. Chugtai’s stunning use of space and perspective in this work, in relation to the central form,is praiseworthy. Not unlike the great Oriental masters of scroll-painting, he commands the vertical space with graceful swooping lines that in turn defines the contour of the figure with dexterity. The color palette is soothing and radiant without being gaudy. He preferred to work on a particular range of papers made in Germany and England incorporating a uniquely styled method of was painting regarding which he boastfully once said – “I claim that if you were to immerse my paintings in water and let them lie there for a very long time even then, when you take them out you will find the colours as bright and as fast as ever. "
About the Posters
Radhika - Abdur Chugtai Painting by Abdur Rahman Chughtai. Our posters are produced on acid-free 220 GSM papers using archival inks to guarantee that they last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All posters include a sufficent white border around the image to allow for future framing, if desired. Product will be shipped in 2-3 days