Untitled

Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1921, Quamrul Hassan moved to East Pakistan after the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947. He was a versatile artist who worked in oil, gouache, watercolours, pastel, and different forms of printmaking. Hassan’s linocuts, much like the works of Chittaprosad, depict human suffering and pathos. His woodcuts, especially after the 1974 famine, expressed rage and anger at a failing system. This print shows a figure crawling on the ground, his eyes wide and the mouth agape with pain—a reaction to trauma, starvation or even anguish. While the face is defined with broad outlines, the artist has given considerable attention while marking the hands, which feature fine details.