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Rudolf von Leyden

In the vibrant world of post-independence Bombay, a German art critic named Rudolf von Leyden played a pivotal yet overlooked role in shaping modern Indian art. Arriving as a refugee from Nazi Germany, Rudi soon became a tireless champion of India’s emerging avant-garde painters.

The Catalyst: Rudolf von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening captures the critic’s monumental influence on artists like Ara, Husain, Raza, and Souza ~ the audacious pioneers who rebelled against academic styles to forge a bold, new artistic vision for a nation reborn.

About the Book

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The Catalyst: Rudolf von Leyden and India's Artistic Awakening is a product of extensive interviews with Rudi’s family members, friends and artists, as well as references from articles, diary notes and letters, which are archived by his niece and nephew based in Berlin and Sussex, respectively.

As an art critic with the Times of India in the 1940s and 1950s, Rudi’s words provided a perspective that put an artist’s metier into context. He was a friend, mentor and guide to the Bombay Progressives Artists’ Group (PAG). Peppered with many compelling anecdotes, the book aims to trace Rudi’s journey through the prism of the artists’ lives he deeply impacted.

Much has been written about artists such as M.F. Husain, K.H. Ara, F.N. Souza, V.S. Gaitonde and S.H. Raza, who dominated the scene during this time, but little is known about Rudi, an influential figure in their artistic lives. The foreword of the book has been written by the last-surviving modernist, Krishen Khanna.

The Author

Reema Desai Gehi

Reema Desai Gehi is an arts writer, researcher and cultural facilitator residing in Mumbai. For over a decade, Reema has written on the arts and culture scene for the Mumbai Mirror, India Today and Hindustan Times. Previously, she has worked with leading theatre groups in India and the UK, including Q Theatre Productions, National Theatre Wales and C Venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Reema is an alumna of Cardiff University, UK, where she completed her Masters with a special focus on arts journalism.

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Endorsements

Ratan Tata, Industrialist and Philanthropist

Rudolf von Leyden, a German geologist and émigré, assimilated fully into the cosmopolitan times of 1930s Bombay. Apart from a long association with the Tata Group from 1944-67, he is remembered today for the critical heft he brought to the fledgeling modern art scene, by his writing on art and his close association with the Progressive Group at the time. This book will shed light on his influence in those crucial years, that set the stage for the vibrant contemporary art scene we see today.

Supporters

Book supported by
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Research supported by
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Book published by
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