Untitled

A master of the ‘Indian’, as opposed to the Bengal School style of painting—even though the latter was a distinct early inspiration—M. A. R. Chughtai borrowed subjects from miniature paintings, stories from the Arabian Nights and various Hindu epics, to create a language that, though romanticised and sentimental, held its own for its fine linework and elegance. This Untitled etching serves to inform us of Chughtai’s ability to transcend mediums, showing in remarkable detail a woman at the toilette, a theme diversly explored by artists all over the world.