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Anna Molka Ahmed (1917-1994) Untitled (Praying Woman) image 1
Anna Molka Ahmed (1917-1994) Untitled (Praying Woman) image 2
Anna Molka Ahmed (1917-1994) Untitled (Praying Woman) image 3
Lot 61*

Anna Molka Ahmed
(1917-1994)
Untitled (Praying Woman)

5 June 2024, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £1,536 inc. premium

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Anna Molka Ahmed (1917-1994)

Untitled (Praying Woman)
signed 'Anna Molka 78' lower left
pastel on paper, framed
72 x 44.5cm (28 3/8 x 17 1/2in).

Footnotes

Provenance
Property from a private collection, Pakistan.

Trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, Molka's early works were imbued with a deep appreciation for academic realism and draughtsmanship. However, it was her move to Pakistan in 1940 and subsequent appointment as the founding Head of the Fine Arts Department at the University of the Punjab in Lahore that proved to be a seminal moment in her career.

Her oeuvre reflects a profound engagement with the cultural landscape of Pakistan, capturing the vibrant colours and textures of the country's diverse landscapes, from the rugged beauty of the northern mountains to the bustling streets of its urban centres. In Untitled (Praying Woman), she captures an intimate moment with sensitivity and grace. Created using pastels, the woman's posture exudes a sense of serenity and introspection, her hands clasped in reverence as she bows her head in silent contemplation. Molka's deft handling of form and gesture imbues the figure with a quiet dignity. The background is minimal, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the central figure and her intimate connection to the divine.

In The Traveller, Molka again focuses on a solitary figure, the eponymous traveller, depicted with a sense of quiet determination and introspection. The traveller's posture suggests a moment of respite along the road, a pause for reflection amidst the ceaseless motion of the journey. Molka's skilled rendering of form and expression imbues the figure with a universal quality. The landscape surrounding the traveller is rendered with a delicate touch, its details suggested rather than defined. Soft, muted tones evoke a sense of timelessness, as if the scene exists outside the constraints of a specific place or era.

Additional information

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