A publication by the College of Art and Design, the University of the Punjab, Lahore, titled, Landscapes, Cityscapes and Related Conceptual Paintings, has recorded for posterity, a one of its kind exhibition of the same name that was held at the Lahore Museum, in the recent past. The publication which includes a critique of the paintings of a large selection of Pakistani artists who have contributed in this genre, lent clarity to the earlier first-hand visual experience, in addition to valuable insight into each artist’s style of painting.

For many contemporary artists, landscape painting is an old world preoccupation at best, or else simply a commercially viable subject because of its popular appeal. However, this may be an unfair generalisation, for indeed ‘a thing of beauty is a joy for ever’ and more importantly, for any genre of art, be it a realistic landscape or an abstract painting, skill and sincerity of purpose invariably determine its intrinsic value.

The ‘old master’ Ustad Allah Bakhsh has left behind many awesome and variegated specimens of landscapes, both realistic and phantasmagoric, which continue to be cherished. The landscapes of veteran artist Khalid Iqbal are invariably considered to be masterpieces and while a number of artists have tried to emulate his pristine style of rendering, it is never quite the same. The inner being of an artist shines through his creations, and it is not simply the brush strokes that create a particular ambience, so perhaps it is Iqbal’s inner honesty an obvious unpretentiousness that is matchless.

Nonetheless many other artists have made a significant contribution to the art of landscape and the aforementioned publication has recorded the contribution of Zulqarnain Haider, Kaleem Khan, M. Hussain Hanjra. Mughees Riaz, Ghulam Rasul, Shahid Jalal and Ijaz ul Hassan.

In the category of artists who have made significant contributions towards the paintings of cityscapes, the works of Anna Molka Ahmad, Naseem Hafeez Qazi, Ghulam Mustafa, Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi and Dr Ajaz Anwar are elaborated upon, while the ‘conceptual landscapes’ of Abdul Rahman Chughtai, Moyene Najmi, Mussarat Mirza, Zubaida Javed and Khalid Mahmud, are collected in a separate category. The former rely on realistic rendering and each one has a distinct technique and signature style that has been developed after years of painterly practice. As for the latter, their reliance is more on imagination, stylisation and abstraction that nonetheless warrants a place in the landscape narrative.

A somewhat ambiguously catered category of ‘Tradition and contemporary trends’, brings together an assortment of talented practitioners, including Mussarat Hassan, Iqbal Hussain, Rahat Naveed Masud, Kehkashan Jafri, Maliha Azmi Aga, Quddus Mirza, Durre Waseem, Naela Amir, Munawar Mohiuddin, Amjad Naeem, Mirza Matloob Baig, Iqbal Khokar, Muhammad Arshad and Anila Zulfikar.

A number of these artists are not exclusively landscape painters and are known for painting a variety of subjects, including portraits, still life and conceptual art. Quddus Mirza in particular is known more for this last category and is seldom considered an artist who painted landscapes, though he did so in his early years. Also, Iqbal Hussain is invariably associated with portraiture, wherein he displays greater personal involvement and painterly maturity as compared to his attempts at landscape.

The College of Art and Design is no doubt gaining in its scholarly endeavours under the able stewardship of its principal, Rahat Naveed Masud. Recently another impressive publication, titled Jamal — a Journey of Aesthetics, which is the first issue of a journal that may well become a yearly feature, was initiated and included articles on various disciplines of art by critics and researchers. As at the National College of Arts, Lahore, which has been sponsoring books and journals on art since a while, a good precedence of scholarly endeavour in the field of art is also being set at the University of the Punjab.