材质:oil on canvas 题识:signed ‘allah bux' (lower right) 拍品描述:来源 The Collection of Hafiz Mujeeb Rehman， Deputy Director， International Labor Organization Acquired from the above， 1962 Private Collection， Geneva Thence by descent Born in 1895 in Wazirabad， a small town in Punjab， Allah Bux started as an apprentice to a sign painter and then moved on to painting theater sets in Calcutta and Bombay. Now known as a leading proponent of European Academic styles in South Asia， Bux’s depictions of scenes from Hindu mythology and Punjabi village life and folklore were inspired by colonial styles and tastes that were introduced in the subcontinent in the eighteenth century. Bux moved to Lahore in 1919， where he rapidly gained recognition， developed a wide circle of admirers and was bestowed the honorific of ‘Ustad’ or master in recognition of his abilities and achievements as an artist. Bux also spent time in Patiala State as court painter for its ruler， Bhupindra Singh， where he was exposed to a wide ranging art collection that included Renaissance and 18th and 19th century European paintings. Borrowing the romanticism of the Western works he saw， as well as their medium of oil， the artist built his reputation by creating beautiful images heavily influenced by local and folk cultural heritage. After the partition of the subcontinent in 1947， Bux chose to remain in Lahore and continued to depict idyllic landscapes and scenes from Pakistani life and mythology， making his oeuvre a fascinating testimony of a national visual culture in the making. The present lot is based on the classic Punjabi folk story about the lovers Heer and Ranjha， which has been passed down over several generations. There are many versions of the story， but each emphasizes pure and unrequited love. In the foreground， Bux paints Heer and Ranjha as an older couple， sitting on what may be a river bank – perhaps referencing the place they regularly met in their youth. Ranjha is portrayed writing the story of their love and passing it to Heer. Beyond them， Bux paints Heer and Ranjha in their youth， perhaps to illustrate the memories that the couple is reminiscing about. As the youngest son in a family living by the river Chenab， Ranjha was spoiled by his father， causing jealousy among his siblings. After his father’s death， the children fought over his land leaving Ranjha with nothing and forcing him to abandon his home and travel across the river. It was on the opposite riverbank that he met and fell in love with Heer， named after a diamond for her beauty and brilliance. Ranjha took up work as a mahi or cowherd for Heer’s family， and would take their cows and buffalos to the river every day， where he would meet Heer in secret. Eventually， Heer’s family discovered the secret affair and arranged for her to be married to into a family far away from her home and from Ranjha. To cope with their miserable separation， Ranjha took a vow of poverty and chastity of mind and body. Bux alludes to this， painting the young Ranjha with a staff and the young Heer holding the begging bowl he used as a mendicant. In the version of the story Bux illustrates， Heer and Ranjha eventually reunite and are able to rekindle their love， growing old together. Bux portrays this tale as it is being transcribed for posterity by Ranjha himself. This painting is unique as the viewer sees both the past and present in one frame， rather than a specific scene， giving away the fact that this version of the story has a happy ending rather than a tragic one. Bux decides to give the viewer insight into the lives of Heer and Ranjha after they reunite， and we see that the figures， although aged， have retained their strong bond of love.