USTAAD ALLAH BAKSH A MASTER PAINTER FROM PUNJAB ..

                                                                                   

                                                                ( Ustaad allah Baksh )

                                                             ( With Another Master A R Chughtai  )

USTAAD  ALLAH   BAKSH  A MASTER PAINTER FROM   PUNJAB ..

There is a a  belief that ustad Allah Baksh’s(1895-1978 ) ancestors had moved to Punjab from kashmir. Not many people have worked on this subject  . 

 Ustaad Allah Baksh was born at wazirabad and his father was a painter in Railways. 

Almost self taught , for some time he worked with Ustaad Abdullah the renowned Mughal style Miniature painter from Lahore . Ustaad Abdullah owned a shop-cum-studio “Abdullah and Sons” at  Regal Chowk Lahore.
Ustaad Allah Baksh was a master painter of Punjab’s folklore , pastoral life ,culture and stories from Hindu and persian mythologies . He painted a series on Krishna and stories based on Mahabharata .

 Having worked as Scene painter with drama company of Agha Hashr kashmiri , Allah Baksh was skilled in painting life size portraits and huge canvases.

                                                                                                

 (  The above painting shows KRISHNA IN VIRAAT SWAROOPA ..You can see a Baffled Arjuna bowing when he was shown the viraat swroopa and advised to act as everything had been predestined and settled.The Kaal Chakra( Time Wheel) has been shown as a stone Grinding mill on the left. superb work from a master .) 

                                                                                                                   

                                                                   (  Krishna as  BALA FISHNA  Painted by the Master )

He painted a series on Punjabi women . Some paintings in this series are uploaded here under :

                                                                                   

    

 His paintings depicting  village scenes relating to Punjab   are   simply treat to eyes . I am uploading  some painting from this series as well;

Some other paintings done by  Ustaad Allah Baksh depicting some  mythological story or cultural heritage of Punjab are also uploaded here under :

                                                                             

                                                          ( Heer Ranjha )

                                                  ( Taslim e Hoshruba )

                                                                 ( Street Singer )

                                                                               

                                                                                        

In 1914, he moved to Bombay where he worked as signboard cum scenic painter at Roop Narain Photographic Studio .
In 1924, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir offered him employment as a court-painter, but he was reluctant to accept this offer. However, he joined the court of Maharaja Patiala and stayed there until 1937-38.

                                                                            

He was a close friend of  A R Chughtai another Great painter of the subcontinent .

Ustaad Allah Baksh died in poverty . For survival , His family had opened a Grocery store just outside their house in Lahore . There was no regular income to support him except some nominal fee that he earned from students of his art school . He had almost lost his eyesight as he had developed  cataract in both eyes which he could not get operated.

He died on October 18, 1978 at Lahore that remained dearest to him all along his life.

( Autar Mota )

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