
Priya Singh
Head of Department
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Sold for £5,120 inc. premium
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Head of Department

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Property from an Estate, USA.
In Behind the Curtain, Chughtai masterfully balances delicacy with drama, drawing upon his signature blend of Indo-Persian aesthetics and modern sensibility. The composition is dominated by the figure of a seated woman in profile, her breast partially exposed, the sumptuous folds of her lehenga filling the foreground with rhythmic grace. Behind her, partly veiled by the curtain, another female figure appears to be dancing; her placement in the background lending the work an intriguing interplay of concealment and revelation. Through its layering of space and suggestion of intimacy, this rare etching exemplifies Chughtai's gift for transforming the miniature tradition into a deeply personal and poetic modern idiom.
For another etching sold at Christie's see South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art, 26th May 2016, lot 15.