Bombay Art’s German accent

In autobiographiesmdashof artists business tycoons and politiciansmdashit is the most significant players who move the story forward The crossing of paths with allies enemies mentors and lovers enriches books bringing out the best and worst in their subjects The Acknowledgements on the other hand are an entirely different matter here people closest to the subject enjoy pride of placeRudolf von Leyden a German eacutemigreacute who made Bombay his home in the turbulent 1930s is the sort of friend whorsquod feature in the Acknowledgements of many stories Still cherished by those who knew him and a recurring name in the archives of Mumbairsquos cultural institutions he influenced a number of famous livesmdashin big and small waysmdashfrom painter Krishnaji Howlaji Ara to ad man and thespian Alyque PadamseeThe Catalyst Speaking Tiger Reema Desai Gehirsquos new and engaging biography of von Leyden details how he was targetted in postWorld War I Germany for his Communist leaning and Jewish roots and why he chose to seek refuge in Bombay when pursued by the Gestapo Drawing from diaries letters interviews and family archives the writer paints a dual portrait Of the ways in which von Leyden became an integral player in pre and postIndependence Bombayrsquos arts and advertising scene and the cityrsquos wholehearted embrace of him as a Renaissance man in returnHer sevenyearlong effort to retrace Rudolf von Leyden took art writer Reema Desai Gehi across the world PicAnurag AhireDesai Gehi includes a variety of colourful detailsmdashof evenings spent at Willingdon Sports Club or swimming at Juhu beachKekoo Gandhy cofounder of Gallery Chemould recalls how ldquoRudirdquo would rush from gallery openings to the office of the newspaper he wrote art reviews for on his bicycle Rudirsquos engagements with the arts and theatre continued even as he worked in the advertisement and publicity wings of companies such as VoltasldquoWhat struck me about Rudirsquos art writingrdquo Desai Gehi says ldquowas that it was coherent and bereft of jargon And it was so relevantmdashI thought to myself this is exactly how I aspire to write Skilful language still nuanced and accessible I was also struck by his writingrsquos historical value because he reviewed practically every premier artist of his timesrdquoStanding ndash L to R Kaumlthe Langhammer Rudi with Nena middle Walter Langhammer and Ebrahim Alkazi Seated ndash L to R Husain Bakre Gade Ara Souza Raza and Mulk Raj Anand Pic CourtesyJames von LeydenKrishen Khanna who has penned a personal handwritten foreword to The Catalyst is the very reason Desai Gehi was alerted to Rudirsquos work as an art critic ldquoWalter Langhammer Austrian artist and fellow eacutemigreacute became the great chachaji of painting in Bombay When Langhammer came in Ara and SH Raza would get scared but when Rudi came in they wouldnrsquot Rudi could always talk down to the pointrdquo Khanna said to the writerIf Langhammer was chachaji Rudi was a kingpin ldquoOne of my interviewees called him a lsquouniversal gebildetrsquo a German phrase to mean someone who is culturally refined and eruditehellip His interests were varied and manyrdquo says the art journalist and editor who devoted seven years to retracing Rudirsquos lifeIn the early pages of The Catalyst Desai Gehi deftly narrates how von Leyden stepped up and offered to be a defence witness in an iconic obscenity case of the 1950s A young and fiery Akbar Padamsee whose works were being exhibited at the Jehangir Art Gallery painted the image of a couple in the nude with the man touching the womanrsquos bare breasts The Vigilance Branch of the Bombay CID took umbrage and confiscated two paintings Padamsee looked far and wide for peers who would support him publiclyOn June 16 1954 Rudi took a combative stance and declared in the Court of the Presidency Magistrate that Padamseersquos ldquoobscenerdquo depiction of human love shared similarities with artistic depictions across the world but especially ancient Indiamdashin the sculptures of the Khajuraho temple His formidable defence was pivotal to the painter winning the caseThis episode lets the reader into two of Rudirsquos strengths his unwavering support to the cause of Indian art and his nuanced discerning grasp on Indian aestheticsmdasha result of a sustained interest in architectural marvels and sculptures ldquoThe relationship he shared with artists like Khanna was not like a regular relationship between a critic and artist It was a familial relationship of equalsrdquo Desai Gehi says adding that he encouraged the Bombay Progressive Artistsrsquo Group to create works that spoke to their milieu and moment rather than following in the footsteps of European paintersInterestingly Rudi acknowledged the shift in his own gaze ldquolsquoI liked the country India and its people from the word go but I now realise that my initial attitudes were very sahib and that friendships begin when the sahib disappearsrdquo he introspectedAnother trait that made Rudi who was originally trained in Geology singular in the art scene was his ability to recognise the talent of artists like SH Raza Gieve Patel and Nalini Malini in the nascent stages of their careers ldquoHe responded to art intuitivelyhellip He saw their sincerityrdquo Desai Gehi remarks This is why he acted when another critic disproportionately praised FN Souza in 1963 ldquoHe knew when work came from instinct and when it was a gimmickrdquo she addsEven as his guidance to artistes such as Alyque Padamsee whom he encouraged to work with Indian scripts shaped their oeuvres von Leydenrsquos own name remains conspicuously absent in popular discoursemdasha footnote in the retelling of popular history instead of being a protagonist ldquoThere are many who came during World War II to Mumbai because a number of circumstances brought them here as they continue to They impact people and they become obscure names Itrsquos important to document them because these are the hidden historiesrdquo Desai Gehi concludes