Page 321 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

318 ART AND CRAFTS

Khapparey (1988) he combined the snake and the fox and created a face in such a
manner that it not only portrays an autocrat, but also represents any evil force (fig
4.10). This last cartoon by the artist is a unique instance of the artist’s mature political
ideas, thoughts about art, a longing for goodness and democracy and also a unique
example of his spontaneous skill in art.
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Female figures occupy a major part of Quamrul Hassan’s art. He has portrayed the
diverse beauty and poses of Bengali women in countless ways. Starting in his youth
and until his death female figures were always a priority in his art. As an artist he was
possessed by an insatiable thirst for beauty; and the thirst for beauty of the human
form was a part of his repertoire. It is important to remember that Pablo Picasso was
an idol to Quamrul Hassan. 112 Picasso’s lifestyle and art influenced him in numerous
ways. Perhaps he was also influenced by Picasso’s search for variety in the female
form in his art. A critic has compared Quamrul’s mentality about women to that of
Picasso’s. 113 However, the difference between the drawings of female forms by the
two artists is also clear. The females in Picasso’s art seem to appear with their
fig. 8.15 Bathing physical existence of flesh and blood after an emotional catharsis based on the artist’s
oil, 1966 physical senses. However, Quamrul’s females hint at a distant attraction, rather than
oneness with the artist; and this attraction seems to be unending. He
seems to nurture a kind of longing. As a result, his search for beauty
persists and the measure of his romantic feelings can be sensed
through this also .
1
One critic has commented that Quamrul has taught their [the critic’s]
generation to see women. The eternal image of Bengali women
occupies his canvas. In his painting the beauty of woman ia a soft
delicate and pleasant procession, and it longs to take recourse to a
kind of sublimation. According to another critic, Quamrul’s canvas
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embodies the archetypal women, which embodies an eternal symbolic
identity of this country and its people. 115 It is true that Quamrul’s
females represent an age-old Bangladesh. Women and nature are
inseparable in his art. Sometimes the identities of sister and daughter
are represent in the eternal mother figures. 116 These comments by
critics concerning Quamrul’s representation of women are
appropriate. He has sought female beauty in the background of nature.
A modern outlook and a higher sense of beauty can be discerned in
this search. A subtle similarity exists between the beauty of women
and nature. Female beauty cannot always be comprehended with the
mere senses; this beauty has a universal appeal that goes beyond the
sensous. This very modern concept also circulated in Quamrul
Hassan. As a result, the idea of comparing female beauty with nature
is representative of a higher consciousness of the artist.