Mehernewspappar: Landscape Painting In Pakistan

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Landscape Painting In Pakistan

Landscape Painting In Pakistan…The Masters Of Punjab School.

Dr Nesom Marcella Sirhandi writes in her seminal work “Contemporary Painting In Pakistan” that post 1977, the Pakistani art scene had come of age. Says she “ though regionalism was not a consciously segregating factor in Pakistan, it did serve to highlight differences in art form from the various provinces the individual artists reached maturity and as a very young nation Pakistan had evolved it’s own art history.”

The Lahore artists were headed by Khalid Iqbal who stands as the leader, friend,, initiator and driving force.

Khalid Iqbal is an artist of varied shades and expresiions. Mian Ejaz ul Haq writes about him as a nightmare for art historians as he has only one exhibition to display and also he neither signs his paintings nor dates them. He says that Khalid Iqbal did not adopt and copy any “modern painters automatically but in essence evolved his own style and technique. He has been described as a father of “modern” painting by Dr. Musarrat Hasan who has written a book on the eminent teacher and artist. He in fact is a realist painter but truly as described by Mian Ejaz ul Hasan , a realist painter in the modern sense.

Mian Ejaz says that he is reminded of Mondrian whenever he sees Khalid Iqbal’s paintings. This is true. Mondrian’s “Gray Tree”, his “Still Life Showing a Pot”, all remind you of the same eye and perception.

Dr. Sirhandi writes thst;

“He chooses his sights carefully as he often paints on location, and prefers to paint a scene as it is rather than to change it’s elements. Even before he became identified with landscape subjects, he would study his subject at length before he approached his canvas., his landscapes the result of his meticulous observation and brush work, are literal visions of rural Lahore. The lay of the land,it’s flora, rural architecture, animals and occasional figures are recorded sensibly and accurately. Khalid’s paintings reflect his close attention to climate, temperature, season and time of day.

Mondrian Grey Tree.