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Lot Essay
A leading proponent of the Western academic style, Allah Bux was bestowed the title of 'Ustad' or 'Master' because of his abilities and achievements as an artist. A master of both watercolor and oil painting, Bux painted from natural phenomena which he later adapted in the studio. His work is heavily influenced by both local and folk cultural heritage, and western artistic practice. The artist's depictions of rural Pakistani life and mythology have enjoyed great popularity and success.
"Bux explored a variety of subjects during his early years as a painter. Before Partition, he was well-known for his representations of Krishna, though he also engaged in landscape and portrait painting. He was as versatile with media as with subject matter, and some of his mixtures of media were quite innovative. His painting was realistic with a romantic edge, inspired by the Indo-Western style practiced in Bombay and the European paintings in the Royal Patiala collection. A number of very beautiful, unusual landscapes and figurative panoramas distinguish him as a talented, imaginative artist." (M. Sirhandi, Contemporary Painting in Pakistan, Lahore, 1992, p. 27)
Lady with a Peacock by a Rock Pool is an outstanding example of Bux’s ability to capture the sentimental nature of idyllic Punjabi landscapes. The waterfall running through the rocky backdrop, the delicate water lilies and the majestic peacock, all set a romanticized scene. The artist has celebrated the young woman, yet the female form is inconspicuously painted so as to be appropriate in a socially conservative milieu.
Allah Bux painted numerous depictions of Pakistani folklore, and this particular work is observably one of his more ambitious and skilful interpretations.
"Bux explored a variety of subjects during his early years as a painter. Before Partition, he was well-known for his representations of Krishna, though he also engaged in landscape and portrait painting. He was as versatile with media as with subject matter, and some of his mixtures of media were quite innovative. His painting was realistic with a romantic edge, inspired by the Indo-Western style practiced in Bombay and the European paintings in the Royal Patiala collection. A number of very beautiful, unusual landscapes and figurative panoramas distinguish him as a talented, imaginative artist." (M. Sirhandi, Contemporary Painting in Pakistan, Lahore, 1992, p. 27)
Lady with a Peacock by a Rock Pool is an outstanding example of Bux’s ability to capture the sentimental nature of idyllic Punjabi landscapes. The waterfall running through the rocky backdrop, the delicate water lilies and the majestic peacock, all set a romanticized scene. The artist has celebrated the young woman, yet the female form is inconspicuously painted so as to be appropriate in a socially conservative milieu.
Allah Bux painted numerous depictions of Pakistani folklore, and this particular work is observably one of his more ambitious and skilful interpretations.