Abdur Rahman Chughtai

Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1899–1975) was a painter from Pakistan who was best known for his Chughtai Style of ArtNCA and Stamp Design, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan, 2000 p. 5] , as well has his designs of stamps. He was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 1960, and the President of West Germany awarded him a Gold Medal in 1964 for his accomplishments. He died in Lahore on January 17, 1975.

Art

He was considered one of the most famous representatives of Pakistan and Chughtai’s paintings were gifted to visiting heads of states. Allama Iqbal, Pablo Picasso, Queen Elizabeth II were amongst his admirers. An estimated 25 million people saw his Wembley show in 1924.

His works are at the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Peace Palace Hague, United Nations Headquarters, New York, Kennedy Memorial Boston, US State Department Washington DC, President's House Bonn, Nizam of Hyderabad’s Palace, Queen Julianna's Palace in the Netherlands, Emperor's Palace Bangkok, President House Islamabad, Governors’ Houses in Lahore and Karachi and the National Art Gallery Islamabad.Fact|date=October 2007

Among his famous works include the logos of Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan, his painting of Anarkali for the cover of a 1992 drama. Additionally, one of the most successful UNICEF cards features a Chughtai.

Artist and gallery owner Salima Hashmi deems Chughtai one of South Asia’s foremost painters. “He was part of the movement that started in the early part of the 20th century to establish an identity indigenous to the subcontinent,” she said. “He rejected the hegemony of the British Colonial aesthetic.”

UNO art correspondent Jacob-Baal Teshuva wrote that Chughtai’s paintings are the most outstanding among the entire permanent collection of United Nations.

Stamps

Chughtai was also amongst Pakistan’s first stamp designers having designed the Re 1 motif stamp (SG 23) of the first anniversary of independence set released in 1948. ["Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka", Stanley Gibbons Limited, London, UK 2005 1st edition p. 18]

References

External links

* [http://www.caroun.com/Painting/Pakistan/Painters/AbdulRahmanChughtai.html Abdul Rahman Chugtai "Traditional Painter from Pakistan"]

See also

* Anarkali
* Pablo Picasso