ANALYSIS BY  DIVISION OF CHUGHTAI ART INTO SIX DECADES;
LAST PHASE SEVENTIES ALSO OF CHANGES AND INNOVATIONS.

By 1970 the artist M.A., Rahman Chughtai was going through various turmoils. The separation of East Pakistan was a personal blow to him, as he was the forerunner of the Ideology and  Culture of Pakistan. In 1965 held a Press Conference in Dacca about the inseparable nature of East and West Pakistan. Things were not normal at home. The marriage of his daughter Ms Mussarat Chughtai had created issues which he could not sustain emotionally in any way. LDA was not inclined to clear the site of his proposed museum for his art and his collection. And he was not keeping good health. The children and grandchildren of his brother Abdur Raheem Chughtai were not inclined to look at his views of the world. In fact two daughters of his brother held a bizarre religious ritual, praying tht if he cannot be physically well, then Allah should take him away. Allah forbid such malignancy! The greed for capturing his legacy never went away. Material greed short sighted the nobility of creative vision, for their philistine generation. Pangs of artist unheard. For a start, a sleeping problem had occurred. Awoke at night, sleepy by day. Then a terrible shake in his hands, which would not permit the finest line he was used to for drawing. Pills abounded. Enemies gloated for his end. The miracle was that he went on working, but changed his drawing and coloring to suit the needs of his physical health.

Our scholars are truly morons and never take the opportunity to study the life of an artist. The life of any artist is reflected in his output of creativity. All that they can do is compare printed images of his art in books like Murraqqa and come up with conclusions. The most wonderful adventure is a study of the last phase of his life and his works. They speak for themselves. To combat his trembling hand at times, he had to make his line in art thicker so that the tremor effect could be minimized. He had to dispense with many washes and come up with solutions of lesser washes with same effect, and it is remarkable that he succeeded so well. His compositions changed too. He never gave up, and when at times that feeling came up, I was here to thump him on his back and encourage him to fight the impossible emotions. Long after his death my mother continued telling me that I was always under the impression that he was in the next room and would come in anytime. He never did of course like that, but his morale rubbed on to me. When I feared most was the same thing, I also wanted my back thumped in reality as an ideal. But when he held my hand on 17th January, 1975, in the morning, he would not let go. A reminder that Dr Allama Iqbal held his hand in same way, at the turning point of death. I understood!

So start enhancing your observation skills. Stop idle rant and bark of unknown art works. Charade! Buy one book on Western Art and like a coffee table book, flaunt it in front of others, without even knowing a thing. The West turned our Storytelling and Dramatic writings into zero by their anti-climax of things. A life without heros and heroines, where the villain wins in the end. The media rants about Pakistanis who hate Pakistan, and their message is to undo our country. Confusion in right and wrong abounds. Our culture of songs and music turned into rattle of obscene sounds. And for Art sake, I had to take a test. The one I took once from the top of my roof. A mela was going on with thousands if not millions of participants. I took a work of “Amal e Chughtai” in printed form and threw it into the crowd from far above their standing. As it floated down, I saw a mother with  her kid watching it come down. The small kid ran to pick it up and offered it to the gaze of his mother. The mother, a total illiterate and uneducated perhaps a villager, held it in her hand, and folded it and put it in her blouse across her chest. Mere hand would not do, close to heart. No capacity to throw it but to treasure it back home. Put an original Picasso on the road, and a homeless addict would probably burn it for warmth in winter. That is what we call INHERENT CULTURE. It is better to learn to respect it. It overtakes us all the time with its instincts for beauty. It is not going back. It is not the future. It is timeless without time itself. Our future heritage! To engender other things is filth for us.

The last phase is a lesson of indomitable courage of an artist to leave a legacy for his nation. All positive in nature, not contrived to please outside ears and vision. Pakistan lives in its own culture, not mere paindoo doings, but the culture of the best cultural protagonists of the country. M.A. Rahman Chughtai is our lesson for all times.

ABDUL WAHEED CHUGHTAI ALIAS VIDOO ALIAS “PA DODAY”;
A NEPHEW OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI, ARTIST IN LONDON.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 11TH SEPT, 2025, REACHING 92 YEARS AGE.

Four Chughtai brothers lived together in Mohalla Chabuk Sawaran Lahore. Muhammed Hussain occupied a full house, half of the residence. The other three lived in the rest of the place. Many stories high, each storey belonged to one brother. In one storey lived Abdur Raheem Chughtai, with his wife Mumtaz Begum, and children. Two sons Abdul Wahid Chughtai and younger son Abdul Waheed Chughtai. The girls were Askari Begum, Famida Begum and Sarwar Begum. This is a narration about Abdul Waheed Chughtai.

Abdul Waheed Chughtai was born on 11th September, 1933, but the birth certificate shows his birth registration on 22nnd September, 1933. Obviously some days later. For his education he was sent to Rang Mahal Mission High School, founded by Dr R.C. Forman, and Head master, the famous Rallia Ram. From there the movement was easier. It ended in a B.A. degree from Government College Lahore. One of his friends and classfellow was Mian Basheer, who later became Principal of Government College, Baghanpura. He had other friends, and all middle class families, moving about on their bicycles in the city.

Mind you simple cycles, there was no room for motorcycles at that time. Hardly anybody had a car. But one of his dear friends Farooq Billa went into various businesses and made it rich. Became owner of a Cinema, and a shop dealing with Arms and Ammunition. He would move around in his blue Toyota car OK 1 in great style. Others were not so lucky.

Obsession to move out was there, and after his graduation moved to London, with his parents unhappy about his decision. In his time the grand play was ability to migrate abroad. The desire of his family, father and uncle was set aside. Many friends went abroad for training in printing. Abdur Raheem Chughtai had made a Press namely Print Printo Press, and wanted his son to help him print Art books of Chughtai Sahib. His friend Nawazish Ali had come back and picked up the reins of Nisar Art Press, while others like Ifftikhar also joined Printing Industry. German machinery of Frontax printer LetterPress and German Klimsch camera, all were there. But no Abdul Waheed Chughtai. The result the press got sold, and machinery was bought by Nisar art Press. Success certain for others.

The desire of parents for his ability to develop his talents as an artist was in limbo. He did painting many times and even held exhibitions in Alhamra, as well as in Islamabad. But the phase fizzled out. Punjab Bank or so did take out a book on his illustrations of the verses of Mirza Ghalib, in footsteps of Chughtai Sahib himself. But he discarded the lengthy technique of his uncle, and opted for an easy technique. He signed his works as Vidoo.

Handsome Abdul Waheed Chughtai could charm lot of lady friends, mostly platonic. Ladies like Mercedes Cornet, Petra C. Kuess, and Tineke van Jaarsveld.

The father yearned for his son to get married and have children. His marriage life is one big secret. No one  really knows. But in the end he actually got married and lives in London, but without any children. In fact he  loved children and was very kind to all those who came in his life from other families. His cousin claimed that he had children. But it is an unknown chapter of his life. 

His uncle Abdur Rahman Chughtai was very fond of him and once when he got electrocuted , he risked his own life to save him. The results are even visible today on his burnt hands. But reflection of love that he got from his uncle. He too served the house on normal missions of grocery etc. Fond of bringing fruits and sweetmeats for the family. Specialized in searching the best eatables.

His cousin Mussarat Chughtai had given him the name of Friction. They are still on good terms.

Fond of kite flying like the rest. His hero was Rudolph Valentino and singers like K L Saigol. He was fond of school of painting like Impressionism.

Abdul Waheed Chughtai was always very fond of his hair and kept them in full health with regular care. That is why even today at 92 the same are as perfect as possible.

I pray for him to live a life of good and virtue and may the end be as pleasant as possible!. Prayers with him.

A MINIATURE FROM JAHANGEER ALBUM IN BASTAN MUSEUM;
DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS RUBY LAL AND CHUGHTAI MUSEUM.

Truth and falsehood are different things, and so are perceptions. Here we talk about a miniature which remains unpublished, and was transferred from Iranian Imperial library to Bastan Museum in Tehran, during the tenure of the Shahenshah of Iran, commemoration of 2500 years of monarchy. It was printed in a souvenir of commemoration in a RCD publication. It is now not only rare but rarest and gone into oblivion. The actual miniature must be there intact, but out of reach of most.

An analysis of the work is required. It is a rare work but workmanship isn’t of Akbari standards. The group of Akbar painters had already left Lahore with migration of the Emperor. It is less than a great work of any standard. All signs point to a hurried thing. It is even a torn painting. Areas missing in it. Not much attention paid to the subject as Saleem is only a Prince at that time but the plume on head dress gives his status. Sahib Jamal had given birth to Sultan Pervez in Kabul in 1589 or 999 hijri. Sahib Jamal was probably pregnant when she died in 1008 as history record loss of few children in that period. So everything fits including death in open sky in Bagh Anaran in Lahore. The scene records so many details including pomegranate tree where Great Mian Mir used to rest. More in blogs. And the interesting part is that it is a very small miniature in size, it can easily be said of size six inches by four inches. Hardly much for a Royal portrait. But the importance is no less.

A series of blogs on the Legend of Anarkali were made by us. A revelation of so many things hidden from Western eyes, and closed minds of others. Fascinating were miniatures of the Queen surrounding the mausoleum itself. A one of a kind burial with intense love of Prince Saleem for his wife Sahib Jamal, who died in Lahore. Sikh and Hindu lovers of Lahore will try their best to derail this, for they have one agenda. Everything is Sikh or Hindu. Embarrassment of anything Muslim. Total loss of confidence in one’s own culture. It makes me laugh at the obsession of these people loyal once to Angrez, now loyal to others. Lackeys of this kind are roaming Lahore all the time putting things in different perspectives. Rewriting history all the time. Our job is to reconcile scientific data with visual examination. This house has seen hundreds of paintings of all types and we know how to recognize subject and rendering. I therefore look at all these with observant eyes of my ancestors.

It was breathtaking to find this painting on the same subject done by an artist of Lahore, namely Nadeem Lahori. The miniature would be dated 1595, or just before the death of the Princess. The Princess is not inside a Mahal, but in the inside of a garden. The garden is styled as a Bagh Anaran or Garden of Pomegranates. The whole retinue of ladies are surrounding the sick Princess. Bastan Museum gives the date to be from 1580 to 1600. The museum also has another Nadeem Lahori, which is entitled Sultan with Princess. Must be worth seeing but I have no access to same.

Princess Gulbadan died in 1603. The sweet, smiling and hard working writer Ruby Lal thinks that the lady standing on the railing is Princess Gulbadan herself. It could be, as her face resembles that of the image used by the writer on her research on Gulbadan Begum styled wrongly as the Vagabond Princess. However amazing that image is merely of a Mughal Princess and does not specify title of same. Another painting in the British Library claims that in the celebration of Akbar’s circumcision, Gulbadan is certainly sitting in the group viewing the dance. But again merely attribution. Nothing solid. The claim that Gulbadan is standing outside the railing is mere speculation. One point to note is that if it is Gulbadan, she cannot be shown so young here, and without proper adornments. Yes, age differs. Princess should be much older in the miniature. Ruby Lal thinks that the classification is wrong and the miniature reflects another period that of Gulbadan. And she talks of the death of another Princess, the family  of Gulbadan. But if it was Gulbadan would be sitting next to the sick Princess. So the result? Attribution, speculation, not solid identification.

No one can prove this way or that. If there was a description by name the matter would be solved easily. But here there are perceptions. MINE IT IS SAHIB JAMAL, RUBY LAL it is not. Perhaps may be added to it! Who is right? Maybe time will tell more. I boldly stick to my perception based on study of so many details. Ruby Lal is welcome to hers! I told her she can write her perception anytime but in description she must give mine too. All sides represented the best solution. And fair to all. Desire in research pushes us in one direction. A clash of head and heart. Our love to all, our sincere gratitude to Ruby Lal to invite us to this attention.

TOTAL FAILURE OF MANY PAKISTANIS TO ANALYZE ART;
AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY: WORK ITSELF IS A SIGNATURE.
EVOLUTION OF SIGNATURES OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI:

Any painting can be understood on many levels. Chughtai Sahib understood this well. That is why he did not cultivate patience for those viewing his art, but could recognize their ineptitude. In letters to Chughtai Sahib, and his brother Abdullah Chaghtai, Dr Allama Iqbal requested books on Indian Art for him to study and understand same. One may be surprised to know that even in his writings, he eulogized Dr Iqbal, but always added that he had no aptitude to study painting. Indeed a bold statement for even that time. The lament of Dr Iqbal was the obsession of Indian artists with the female body. The answer to same was the making of the painting “Story teller” (a white peacock looking at Taj Mahal) which the artist left at the house of the poet and the poet hung in his bedroom for some time. The peacock stimulated Dr Iqbal to compose a poem on Taj Mahal at night. The work resulted in the poem. The first version was sold in Bombay in 1920s, but was portrayed in “Rabindranath Tagore’s Golden Book of Tagore”. We have it for analysis, and three versions were made.

An example can be studied of the painting “Last Supper” by Leonardo Da Vinci. Critics of exceptional observation have found more than twenty three hidden symbols in the work, reflecting the hidden view of the artist on the same subject. Pick up any video and hear the arguments of critics on the subject. Show it to any Pakistani and he would not know what to assert about it. In past many decades we have read and listened to so called scholars writing about their views on Chughtai Art. Aslam Ansari writes about Amal i Chughtai in terms that Chughtai would have slapped his poorest observation.  The so called messiah of Pakistan’s brazen scholarship Anis Nagi made fun of the Murraqa paintings and Ghalib poetry. At time we will quote it and tear it apart. These people had absolutely no aptitude for looking at art. In 1931 the influential art magazine “The Artist, London”, simply wrote:

“The European student can learn much from this remarkable economy of means and materials.”

And then one of the greatest western art critic like Roger Fry replied to Chughtai Sahib:

“When I look at the book with its faultless reproductions and its sumptuous decorative, I realize what enthusiasm and devotion has upheld you in your great effort. I feel that whilst I cannot hope to express my gratitude to you fully, I can do something towards it by asking you to accept one of my own works. It is a small thing but it may serve to remind you of my gratitude.

When I call to mind the works of sime much appreciated contemporary illustrators I can recognize in your work the promise of considerable success., Believe me with great gratitude.”

A thousand examples  are possible, but Leonardo da Vinci’s Last supper is best. One must view this:

A painting is like a signature. The artist M.A. Rahman Chughtai wanted every work of his to speak his identity. That is why he refrained from signing his works. He would say I make things in a way that even a blind person can see it is mine. But when works went for publication, or buyers insisted on signatures, he would do so. But always the signature is in red on the painting itself, more Chughtai Lahore, or Abdur Rahman Chughtai Lahore. Rarely other colour. Sometimes complete at times less.But the line is always recognizable.And to top it all, at times the signatures are not even his own. For that reason we will discuss elsewhere and not in any premature way. It requires more room for analysis. Suffice to say that a Chughtais work is Chughtais by analysis. Such subtle things clerical staff and so called experts have no capacity to understand the personality of a Master of his times and beyond. It is my job to bare the ineptitude of these so-called experts, confusing the world with ideas that they have no capacity to infer without adequate research. And nor do they make any effort to discover same. I am the greatest living authority on Chughtai Art, and my motto is not merely to preserve and promote, but to research on same. We welcome the world on their way to the discovery of the Modern Master of Muslim Civilization.

THE MYTH OF THE WATERCOLOUR WASH TECHNIQUE OF CHUGHTAI ART;
ENIGMA OF IMAGINED SECRETS VERSUS SIMPLICITY OF PURE HARD WORK.

Whenever anyone talks about Abdur Rahman Chughtai, the myth kicks in the narrative, of his secret technique, of him not allowing anyone inside his studio, and about taking his secrets to the grave. Well I can give a simple reaction. Laugh your heart out. Chughtai Sahib worked in front of all. If there ever could be a secret, would he have worked with others watching him do so. People make myths out of facts and like a hidden fairy story, indulge in it with full relish. Imagination drives us nuts! Such nonsense is spread by failures.

A number of people called on me too, asking for me to divulge the secrets. The first one to ask me was Ms Marcella Bedford, later Marcella Nesom Sirhindi. She was an artist herself, and felt prone to make Chughtai Art on her own. She asked my cousin Abdul Waheed Chughtai too, who has been in London for the last 65 years. He went there in 1960. He is going to be 92 next month on 11th September, 2025. Others asked too. Like the artist Nagi of Packages Limited Lahore. All were under the impression that the materials used were responsible for Chughtai Art, so I would not only show them the materials, but even volunteered and gave them some materials. Nothing worked. The myth of Wash Technique became stronger with time. 

Moronic analyzers both here and abroad did not know the difference between a finished Chughtai original and an unfinished work of the artist. This is the home of the artist. All kinds of works are preserved in original. A study of unfinished works reveals the story of the Wash Technique. Let us first go through that difficult process step by step.

First Step

The creative part of the work is put on a scrap of paper and then enlarged to a full size painting. The same size is never used again and again. Depending on the subject the paper is cut to suit the composition. All copy makers fall into the mistake of using the same size paper for all works.Also due to fact that their limited printers cannot handle larger sizes.  Even choice of size is unique, and we never share sizes.

Second Step

From a vague pencil sketch, the sketch is refined in a sharp pencil outline. The symbolic additions come later. Once the pencil is done, the outline is finished in single colour of watercolour with a BRUSH, not one hair brush as legend says, but a brush made of a few hairs. This is a very difficult process. Not possible for most artists. Pencil aside, the brush outline becomes abstruse to do. After this the pencil is erased, for signs of pencil marks would not be compatible with a watercolour painting.

Third Step

This paper is drenched with water again and again. And then pasted on a wooden board of different sizes.  And then a mixture of water and a colour such as a cream one are mixed, and the pores of the paper are drenched again and again. This process makes this one color enter the pores of the paper and turn it into a smooth one. The pasting is done on board with in-paper glue tape (fita), usually brown in color and about three inches wide. A lot of wooden boards were made specially for this work, but were of light weight and of seasoned wood. So many of them are still with us. When he died there were a number of paintings on boards, and the reason was simple. He never worked on a single painting. He worked at the same time on a number of them. And the works may not be the latest, but a mixture of various periods. I kept many intact for a long time. But plus fifty years is a long time.

Fourth Step

Depending on the nature of the painting, a painting may require a process of even twenty five washes or more. But the largest areas are given a colour first. But never the end colour. A colour is built in stages. All colours being used are diluted to the most as they all go through the wash process. And the journey starts. The board is taken into sunlight and allowed to dry. But it cannot be dry into being completely dried. The work is always on wet paper, almost dried. This is the biggest secret of the technique of Chughtai Art. You cannot spread paint evenly on dry paper. Handmade paper like Whatman facilitates various levels of being dried or not. It is not an easy process, it requires a bunch load of patience for this work.

Fifth Step

Once this base, which is the most important part of the wash process, is finalized, and the choice of the end colours of the painting is made, the process is ready to start. Remember end colour is built after various stages of the state of the work. If the subject is dear to the artist it receives full treatment. Otherwise at times he cuts it short. There remains so many unfinished works. Moronic analyzers find fault with the unfinished ones as perhaps not being Chughtai Art. They hardly know anything. First state or last one, the work shouts its maker with a shout of affirmation.

Sixth Step

A nearly complete painting actually looks out of focus. No highlighting in it. The next stage comes in. Here the lips, jewelry, rings and necklaces, or brooches in hair, or outline of flasks come into play. But even these last minute touches are also subject to wash, to even the results of the end painting. All areas are smooth, even to look, but highlighted in a subtle way for priority of looking the same.

SPECIAL NOTE:

One thing is to remember. The colour has gone inside the painting. Outside but also inside the paper of the work. The colour is never opaque, it is translucent. The paper surface is always visible. Mistakes cannot be corrected. It is a singular mission of perfection.

EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS STATES OF WORK FROM OUTLINE TO UNFINISHED TO FINISHED ONES ARE ACCOMPANIED WITH THIS BLOG. Enjoy! And those who never bothered to understand the phenomena.