YES THOUSAND THOUGHTS RUN THROUGH AN ARTIST MIND;
FEW REACHES CLIMAX. MURRAQQA PAINTING WASTED VIGIL.
No work by M.A. Rahman Chughtai is ever made without a thought and with it comes symbolism, an entire story much before the creation of a master piece. The work “The Wasted Vigil” is very much there in the various editions of the Murraqqa and much appreciated. An author even named his book on the same subject. There is so much poignancy in the subject of a beloved waiting for the appearance of her lover, person who never came and left the ache of waiting in the entire body. The romantic aspect of Ghalib’s poetry catches us immediately, and we can imagine the various feelings he went through in his life at personal level.
But the same verse is qualified as an image by the artist. There are alternatives. Enjoy an alternative which never got made but was conceived by the artist and after all he selected version which he thought was best. Bu this version is no less. The empty bed, the blook of verse as she holds either a flask or a diva in her hands. Her clenched hands show her anxiety of missing her lover. We saw it, we shared it. Enjoy!
Remember the original paintings were on same paper, same size, same year of 1926 or so. Relish the mystery.
The enigma of Chughtai artist yet to be understood.
A study to trace thoughts of Chughtai. Is inevitable.
All studies on Chughtai are outdated by now. Criticism is a very difficult field. Pakistan does not lack artists only, Pakistan also lacks Art Critics. We are working on this field now.