Page 344 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

FIRST GENERATION ARTIST 341

Some time in the 50s, four reproductions of Sultan’s landscape paintings were published in
the first edition of Art in Pakistan by Jalal Uddin Ahmed. 130 The selection and application
of thick color and the strokes of the brush of Sultan’s art works during this phase indicate,
according to art critic Nazrul Islam, the influence of the Van Gogh type of Impressionism
(fig 8.25). However, although the two works, out of the four reproductions of paintings
131
mentioned earlier, do support Nazrul Islam’s remark the other two or at least one (Autumn
in Kashmir) does not resemble Van Gogh’s style (pl. 8.21). 132 It is notable that the main
subject matter of Sultan’s works at this stage was nature; man or the figure came as
supplements of nature. However, in the works of the second part, namely of the 70s, we find
that not nature but man was prominent as the subject of Sultan’s paintings.
About the works of this period S. Amjad made an important and remarkable comment:
‘It must be noted that Sultan is not only an artist of landscapes. He has done many remarkable works on
the human figure and I have seen his dry-point sketches and large works in crayon; these works seemed
to me to be of very high standard. However, I was surprised to see two of his recent panels, which were
thickly populated by refugees, and poverty struck people. We must admire the rendition of the human
form; his compositions are also amazing. The firmness with which he has selected the line in drawing
human figures, the vastness of the entire composition, naturalness, human concern of these panels, and
sense of tragedy are to me the welcome signs of Sultans growth and maturity as an artist. I believe Sultan
has achieved success in technique and method. What he needs now is to be introduced to great concepts
and ideas as well as the rich experience of life and art. This will help him create incomparable art works.’ 133
Sultan’s works of the second phase (1975-94) has a close connection with those of the
first. The connecting link is that Sultan always tried to create life-oriented paintings.
His paintings during the 40s and the 50s are marked by the prominence of man and
nature which encompass his entire ideas of art. They are hard working laborer class
people who are directly involved in production. The dialectical relation between man
and nature is his main interest. However, in portraying this relationship we also notice
the evolution and transformation of his ideas and presentation. Though it is difficult to
say anything definite due to the lack of his actual paintings, we may presume that the
Sultan we discover (!) in the mid 70s had already germinated in the 50s. This could
not find expression due to many obstacles until the atmosphere was favourable, after
a gap of 22 years. It is difficult to believe that these artworks were possible suddenly,
without planning, without any practice. We already mentioned S. Amjad Ali’s
comment on the topic. To quote from the memoirs of the sculptor Mahbub Jamal
Shamim, a direct disciple of Sultan:
‘He [Sultan] did a lot of paintings in 1973. This was the formative period of his creative magnitude and
finest expression – the works in pen and ink wash left in the folio on the table were transformed into the
best paintings of his life painted for his solo exhibition organized by Shilpakala Academy. I remember
how Sultan would be quietly busy with his work and speak to himself addressing Zainul, ‘Zainul you
have given a sick and suffering image of my people. I shall give them muscles, wealth and power. 134
To understand the muscular, struggling male figures and softly-strong female figures
of Sultan we have to take note of some important events of Sultan’s life. Firstly, the
opportunity of getting admission to the Calcutta Government Art School, where he
was doing fine, helped him learn the rules of the British academic style of painting.
Secondly, during this period Shahed Suhrawardy’s huge library was open to him.