There are two versions of the Progressive Artists’ Group photo taken at the opening of Maqbol Fida Husain's first solo exhibition, in 1950 and two narratives about the opening.
After the Second World War and India’s independence, Walter and Käthe Langhammer, Rudolf von Leyden and Emanuel Schlesinger, all emigrants from the informal Central European art circle, became active members of the Bombay Art Society. Their aim was to support the spirit of optimism among the artists of the most important art-political institution in Bombay and pave the way for national and international modern trends. In 1949 and 1950, Käthe Langhammer was an active member of the Bombay Art Society Committee. Together with Kekoo Gandhy, she was given the task of organising exhibitions by contemporary Indian artists.
On 3 February, 1950, M.F. Husain’s first solo exhibition opened in the salon of the Bombay Art Society in Rampart Row in Kala Ghoda. That evening, an unidentified photographer took the iconic photo of the Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) and their associates. K.H. Ara, Husain and S.K. Bakre were present from among the founding members of the PAG, and Krishen Khanna, Tyeb Mehta, Bal Chhabda, V.S. Gaitonde and Laxman Pai from the second generation of the PAG. F.N. Souza had already moved to London. The Leyden brothers, Rudi and Albrecht, are also missing.
Husain proudly presented his paintings by sitting among his admirers and well-wishers in front of the masterpiece of the exhibition, his iconic painting Man (for colour photo of the painting, see Maqbol Fida Husain). It is a deep visual study of mankind; amidst all the turmoil, chaos, upside-down-ness, seductions and temptations the man lingers silently in Rodin's Thinker's pose. Is it the chaos of India after independence with all the violence of Partition? The Muslim-born Husain had stayed in Hindu-dominated India; a figure on the left seems to be waving goodbye. Is it the course of life that moves in front of his inner eye when he is in an extreme situation, just before he leaves this world, just before he dies? The stoic man in the middle is still sitting surrounded by canvases. The nearer the extremities, the more chaos and anarchy arise. The man symbolises silence in turbulent times, inner peace in places of chaos. In his opening speech, Emanuel Schlesinger made a similar interpretation and said: “as the country was under a transitional period there was no homogeneity in modern art. What was necessary for an artist was a settled atmosphere.“ (Anonymous 1950, 8). The man reflects this calmness, this settled mind.
Almost half a century later, Yashodhara Dalmia curated the inaugural exhibition at Mumbai’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) The Moderns (see for photos: Ganguly, n.d.). The group photo first featured prominently in the 1996 exhibition catalogue. Newspapers and magazines began reprinting the photo. Seven years later, the Chemould Gallery decided to print their version of the photo on the cover of The Perfect Frame: Presenting Modern Indian Art. Stories and photographs from the collection of Kekoo Gandhy (Zitzewitz 2003). It is the centrepiece of the book that depicts and symbolises Kekoo Gandhy's activities in the art world of Bombay and India. The photo version of Gandhy is lighter and more lively. It seems to be the moment after the photographer asked everyone to look at the camera and smile. There is a sense of ease in Gandhy´s photo: Mulk Raj Anand is reading a note, G.M. Hazarnis is seated, Käthe Langhammer and Emanuel Schlesinger look to the left with a smile, T.A. Schinzel fools around behind Khorshed Gandhy, V. S. Gaitonde, A.A. Almelkar and Tyeb Mehta look towards Schinzel and laugh at his prank. Kekoo Gandhy, instead of looking at the camera, seems to be day-dreaming.
Two versions of a photo that made art history in India and two versions of the story of the opening ceremony. The Times of India reported the opening by Schlesinger on the evening of 3 February 1950 and wrote "he classed the paintings of Mr. Husain with the work of foreign artists” (Anonymous 1950, 8). But Käthe Langhammer remembers the opening thus: “Husain’s first one-man show that I opened. Percy Brown, the famous historian of Indian art, was there” (Langhammer 1993, n.p.). Oral history has its weaknesses, but correspondence between Souza and Raza confirms Mrs. Langhammer’s version. Did the Langhammer-Schlesinger duo open the exhibition – Käthe was friendly with “Schle”, as she called him – as a power balancing act or an elegant way to enable an ordinary woman to open an exhibition in the male-run art circles of Bombay? Or can the truth or parts of the truth – or even more – be found in Souza’s words? Or are these the words of an artist struggling to survive, who has just left a supportive privileged environment, defiant, hurt, insecure and without gender awareness. In any case, the words show upheavals among the artists as well as a more frictional relationship between the artists and their Central European followers.
“Have you heard from Husain? I haven’t yet. Do you know who opened his exhibition? Of all the persons, that old gypsy woman, Mrs. Longhammar! [sic!] After Ara asked Mrs. Leyden to open his exhibition [Nena von Leyden opened Ara´s exhibition of 77 still lives in the Bombay Art Society Salon 7 September 1950 (Art Exhibition), MF], I can well understand Katy´s feelings. ‘O! Walter, I too, must open somebody´s exhibition.’
It was alright if she had opened some Desai´s or Kulkarni´s show. But I was amazed beyond measure that Husain has fallen for this kind of feeble sophistication. I had written to him that I thought the only artist who has conscience, in Bombay, was he. But now I hardly think so.
This whole ‘art’ business has become so detestable, that I don´t think that I will ever go back to India.”(Letter from Souza to Raza, Paris, 1 April 1910 [sic!] [most likely 1950, MF]; printed in Vajpeyi 2013, 57f).