The legacy continues

Bashir Ahmed is the last in the lineage of a tradition of miniature painters that began at the National College of Arts, Lahore, in the 1940s with Shaikh Shujaullah, former court painter to the Maharajah of Amber in Rajasthan, and Hajji Mohammad Sharif, formerly court painter of the princely state of Alwar Patiala. His magnificent exhibition, ‘The Legacy Continues,’ inspired viewers at Clifton Art Gallery, and was a never-to-be-forgotten  event.  It was the culmination of many years of unceasing work, during which he shouldered unflinchingly the responsibility entrusted to him by Haji Muhammad Sharif and Sheikh Shujaullah. The work comprised four distinct genres - miniature painting, acrylic painting, graphite drawing and landscape painting. He has exhibited frequently at home and abroad, has an endless list of awards and honours attached to his name and is recognised worldwide for his exceptional command over the techniques of miniature painting.

Despite its strong association with the modern nation of Pakistan, the genre of contemporary miniatures belongs to the larger history of Indian art.  In terms of technique it is closely linked to the age-old tradition of Indian miniature painting, and specifically to Mughal painting, known locally as ‘Musawwari’ - though after the colonial period it became known as ‘miniature painting.’ During the Mughal period, royal patrons, in the words of Bashir Ahmed, encouraged their painters “to shift their imaginative acumen into high gear,” encouraging them to assimilate aesthetic principles from the vocabulary of Renaissance art. So a new emphasis on linear perspective, naturalistic modeling and individual portraiture was a direct result of the encounter between east and west.  However Mughal artists maintained a strong sense of continuity with the Indian tradition in terms of form and content.

The works by Ahmed reflect exact characteristics of the work produced by the elite court painters of the Mughal era

In the golden age of the Mughal Empire, from 1556-1658, favourite themes were popular romances, royal histories, Hindu and Muslim mythologies, morality tales and mystical poetry. Also popular were court life, royal portraits, exotic flora and fauna and hunting and garden scenes. Then in 1872 the British founded the Mayo School of Industrial Arts in Lahore, with miniature painting viewed as yet another exotic product, and local artists were encouraged to copy portraits of the great Mughals alongside dancing girls and other stereotyped scenes of ‘the East’.

However, after the 1947 Partition, the Mayo School was reorganised as the National College of Arts, and as it remodeled itself according to a modern European style, traditional art forms formerly taught at Mayo disappeared, with miniature painting barely surviving. In order to survive within a contemporary art institute, this form of art had to be modified and modernised, and the traditional master-disciple relationship was one thing that had to be sacrificed. But as we see, even in the Mughal era, as mentioned above, miniature art underwent several changes. Too much emphasis on the status quo rings the death knell of many a worthwhile thing.

The influence of Bashir Ahmed, who obtained the National Diploma of Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore, in 1974, and received specialised training in miniature painting, has been more than considerable. After receiving his Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the Punjab University, Lahore, in Painting, Print-Making and Sculpture in 1985, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Punjab University in 2002, he instituted the Bachelor’s Degree Programme for Miniature Painting at NCA, by creating a curriculum which till now continues to produce numerous outstanding artists. The founding of the miniatures department in 1985 was done at the urging of Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq, who as a student of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, pioneered miniatures in a contemporary idiom. In fact, over the last two decades, this programme has become the most successful in the school, with the work of its graduate students being much in demand from international dealers and collectors. It has even been labeled as ‘easily exportable exotica’ in some quarters.

It is noteworthy that the miniature paintings of Ahmed reflect the exact characteristics of the work produced by the elite court painters of the Mughal emperors. The precise recipes of the sea-foam and conch-burnished wasli paper, the naturally occurring pigments and squirrel-hair brushes are some of the tools responsible for these remarkable works. Furthermore, Naveed Sadiq, currently preparing for his Master’s at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, says that he used to tell his IVS students in Karachi, “Drawing is the grandmother of all disciplines in the visual arts;”. And indeed, Bashir Ahmed has spent much time working with graphite, producing works in that medium with a most impressive level of maturity, beauty and finesse.

A particularly engaging graphite-on-paper piece is his 22 x 30 inch ‘Camel Fight,’ with its subtle contrast between subject and background, where two minimally but tastefully decorated camels are engaged in an unrelenting display of male pugnacity. Though no blood is spilt, as in the rather graphic displays by so many contemporary artists, the display of sharp teeth leaves nothing to the imagination. One marvels at the masterful tone and texture variations of the of the desert setting, with similar variations in the wonderfully formed clouds, from where the moon highlights the rocky outcrop.

There is a more distinct contrast between subject and background in the engaging graphite-on-board piece titled ‘Relaxing,’ where a young boy with a somewhat modern cast of features and a truly enormous waistline takes his ease upon a traditionally decorated seat, presumably after hunting. One is certainly tempted to ask how such a fat boy can hunt successfully... However, here again, the subtlety of tone in the details of the background elements, accentuated by the pale moonlight,  is quite arresting, and is enhanced by the areas of pure black. Unlike ‘Camel Fight,’ and certain other outdoor scenes, where certain features escape from the border,  this and most other graphite pictures remain within Ahmed’s very plain borders, which are a distinct contrast to the ornate borders typical of past miniatures.

Moving on to the coloured works, one is quite charmed by the piece titled ‘Kangra Figure,’ true to the Kangra style in its depiction of feminine charm and grace, and the soft and refined features of the dancer. The graceful lines of her costume and the dainty hand movements add to the appeal of the image, while the surroundings, with their delicate lines, contrast with the dark and flower-like clouds above. The style is named after Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, a former princely state which patronised the art. It became prevalent with the fading of the Basholi school of painting in the mid-18th century, and soon produced such a magnitude of paintings that the Vahari School came to be known as Kangra.

In contrast to the aforementioned plain borders of the graphite works, the acrylic and mixed media pieces owe much of their charm to their multiple borders, with their varied textures. For example, the marbling effect of ‘The Ozone Layer’ continues into the inner border. There, a lone, quaint wanderer on terra firma - or has he strayed onto another planet? - where the moon casts a striking shadow behind him, gazes in awe at the sky. His shadow is repeated in part of the border, whilst a modern touch is observed in the texture of the surrounding area. Perhaps this texture represents the vastness and movement of the universe. Meanwhile, ‘The elephant in moonlight’ is remarkable in that except for the moon, it is done entirely in shades of green - the elephant itself, the land forms, the ornate inner border and the outer surround. Here it is appropriate to mention that depictions of flora and fauna have long been an intrinsic part of Indian painting traditions.

Several of Bashir sahib’s pictures, while by no means lacking in full pictorial effect, may be described as sparing in detail. ‘Couple in Love’ is one such example, where an atmosphere of calm and elegant refinement prevails as the lovers gaze at each other in an atmosphere devoid of inessentials, and are portrayed in gentle colours. With minimal greenery in the background, and a quiet sky with delicate clouds floating gently above the moon, this is enough - and such a contrast to the Mughal-era Radha-Krishna painting, in which the huge tree under which the lovers sit fills most of the background, whilst a few cows here and there make their presence felt!

Even more sparing in detail and colour is the artist’s mixed-media-on-canvas rendition of ‘Prosperity’ (32.5 x 24 inches). In fact, the whole composition is done in shades of grey, fading into an almost formless white. Here again, the ornate inner border with its surrounding decorations is an important part of the tout ensemble, while the moon is there, casting shadows from the 3 graceful female figures.  This piece seems to be somewhat allegorical. Depending upon the direction from which the viewer sees these figures emerging, it may be said to show either how prosperity gradually fades, or how it slowly increases. Viewing the figures and their shadows, one may even be tempted to ask whether prosperity itself is but a mirage.

Among the variety of Bashir’s landscapes, a number feature horizontal patches of contrasting colours  - ‘Red Line Field,’ ‘Landscape Kangra’(which differs greatly from the Kangra style of old, described as having  ‘verdant greenery and foliage vast and varied’), ‘Red Soil,’ and in particular ‘Landscape Perspective,’  with its marked differences of colour. Among these, ‘Landscape,’ and ‘Landscape with Texture,’ have a distinct charm, the former due to the subtle colours and variety of plant life  displayed, topped by magnificent cumulous clouds in a faintly textured blue sky. ‘Landscape with Texture’ is quite amazing in the presence of various shades of blue, even purple, fading into white until our eye reaches the variegated clouds touched by the breeze.

In contrast with Mughals, several of Bashir Ahmed's works may be described as sparing in detail

The other landscapes include a variety of views, but quite amazing is ‘Village Outside Lahore,’ in that while the predominant colour is grey - the houses backed by greenery, and near which women in bright red go about their duties, part of the land and above all the sky - it is the skillful use of this colour which amazes. What a variety of shades, shapes and cloud forms assail the eye. It is a palette in of itself.  Meanwhile, down on terra firma, a couple of animals, one of them a donkey, trot across the verdant green sward, which gives a lift to the surrounding, patchy ground, no doubt munching as they go.

So the legacy continues, and with nearly four decades of extensive painting behind him, Ahmed, who began as an out-and-out traditionalist, has discovered countless variations of miniature painting by pushing the discipline’s customary boundaries. However he always remained within the traditional spirit of miniature painting and its essential rituals, which he passed on his students during his time at the National College of Arts in Lahore, ensuring that the students also understood the significance of emancipation, innovation and improvisation in the field of miniature painting.

Noor Jehan Mecklai is based in Karachi