The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab

Dr. Naela Aamir; Dr. Aqsa Malik

کھوج, Vol # 43, Issue # 1
The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab

The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab

Dr. Naela Aamir/
Dr. Aqsa Malik/
September 27, 2022

Keywords

Landscape Printing, Punjab, Romanticism, Realism, Cultural identity, abstractionism

Abstract

The region of Punjab in Pakistan is the most fertile land of the country. The diversity of climate and the lush green fields with five rivers irrigating the land contribute to a visual spectacle of raw beauty. It is no surprise that the landscape painters found the land fascinating and in different ways tried to capture the beauty and subtlety of the land both as a visual delight and as a symbol of cultural identity. Broadly speaking, landscape painting in Punjab can be seen divided in two main artistic approaches, i.e. Romanticism and Realism. Both these approaches principally developed in the West as art movements in the 19th century, and due to their universal appeal seeped into the sensibility of the artists of East. This study discusses the work of the pioneers of the two approaches in Pakistan, namely, Ustad Allah Bakhsh and Khalid Iqbal. The study shows the unique contribution of both artists to the genre of landscape painting in Pakistan. The study argues that although both artist’s approach landscape from positions poles apart, nevertheless, they were intimately connected to the cultural identity of the region.

References

* College of Art & Design, University of the Punjab, Lahore

** College of Art & Design, University of the Punjab, Lahore

Alam, Nadeem. “The Ustad of Ustaads.” DAWN.COM, July 26, 2015. https://www.dawn.com/news/1195894.

Canaday, John. Neoclassic to Post-Impressionist. Norton, 1969.

Department, Michigan State University Political Science. Technology in the Western Political Tradition. Cornell University Press, 1993.

Donnachie, Ian L., Ian Donnachie, and Carmen Lavin. From Enlightenment to Romanticism: Anthology I. Manchester University Press, 2003.

Explorer, Pakistan. “Ustad Allah Bakhsh (1885-1978): One of the Greatest Oil Painters of Pakistan.” Pakistan Explorer (blog), September 4, 2012. https://www.pakistan-explorer.com/2012/09/04/ustad-allah-bakhsh-1885-1978-one-of-the-greatest-oil-painters-of-pakistan/.

Faflak, Joel, and Julia M. Wright. A Handbook of Romanticism Studies. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Goldman, Bernard. “Realist Iconography: Intent and Criticism.” Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 18, no. 2 (1959): 183–192. https://doi.org/10.2307/427265.

Heinrich, Christoph. Monet. Taschen, 2000.

Husain, Marjorie, Nadeem Alam, Barbara Schmitz, and Rahat Naveed Masud. A Journey of Resilience and Success, 1940-2013: College of Art and Design, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 2013.

Judge, Paramjit S., and Gurpreet Bal. Reconstructing Identities: Society Through Literature. Rawat Publications, 2008.

Leslie, Charles Robert. Memoirs of the Life of John Constable, R.A. Medici Society, Limited, 1937.

Major, J. Russell. The Western World Renaissance to the Present, 1966.

Naqvi, Akbar. Image and Identity. 2 edition. Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Schneider, Joanne. The Age of Romanticism. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007.

Soofi, Mushtaq. “PUNJAB NOTES: Village: Natural Beauty and Human Ugliness.” DAWN.COM, November 19, 2018. https://www.dawn.com/news/1446409.

Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History Combined. 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson College Div, 2007.

How to cite

Naela Aamir, D., & Aqsa Malik, D. (2022). The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج, 43(1). http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page

Retrieved from http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page

More citation formats

ACM SIG Proceedings

[1]Naela Aamir, D. and Aqsa Malik, D. 2022. The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج. 43, 1 (Oct. 2022).

ACS Nano

(1)Naela Aamir, D.; Aqsa Malik, D. The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج 2022, 43 (1).

ABNT

NAELA AAMIR, Dr.; AQSA MALIK, Dr. The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج, v. 43, n. 1, 6 Oct.2022.

Chicago (author-date)

Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Naela Aamir, D. and Aqsa Malik, D. (2022) “The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab”, کھوج, 43(1). Available at: http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page (Accessed: 25 August 2026).

IEEE

[1]D. Naela Aamir and D. Aqsa Malik, “The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab”, کھوج, vol. 43, no. 1, Oct. 2022, Accessed: Aug. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page

MLA

Naela Aamir, Dr., and Dr. Aqsa Malik. “The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab”. کھوج, vols. 43, no. 1, Oct. 2022, http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page.

Turabian (full note bibliography)

Naela Aamir, Dr., and Dr. Aqsa Malik. “The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab”. کھوج 43, no. 1 (October 6, 2022). Accessed August 25, 2026. http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page.

Vancouver

1.Naela Aamir D, Aqsa Malik D. The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج [Internet]. 2022 Oct. 6 [cited 2026 Aug. 25];43(1). Available from: http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page

AMA

1.Naela Aamir D, Aqsa Malik D. The Pioneers of Romanticism and Realism in the Landscape Paintings of Punjab. کھوج. 2022;43(1). Accessed August 25, 2026. http://khoj.ipcs.edu.pk/website/journal/article/633e705b0e46f/page

Download citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX