Originally hailing from Lahore, Mago settled in Delhi following the 1947 Indian Partition. The events that unfolded in 1947 deeply affected Mago and his family. In reflecting on this period, Mago quoted Sehgal, conveying,

“The turmoil of the days of Partition was so great that I could never be indifferent to the pain and suffering of my work.” (Sharma).

This sentiment encapsulates the emotional and psychological impact that reverberated through his development and future artistic endeavors. 

Mago’s footprint in the artistic realm was muti-faceted; he went on to become not only a working artists, but an educator, and art critic. He was a founding member of the Delhi Silpi Chakra, a Professor in Fine Art at the College of Art in New Delhi, and held advisory roles for the Government of Malta in establishing an Art and Crafts School, along with his directorship at the Design Development Centre under the All India Handicrafts Board (Mago, Contemporary Art) .

Primarily known for his landscapes and portraits, Mago wielded various mediums such as oil, acrylic, charcoal, watercolors, and pencil. Professor Vipan Chandra at Wheaton College, Norton, Mass, who was Mago's nephew described Mago’s artistic breadth, noting his adeptness in crafting landscapes, portraits, and vivid depictions of human emotions and activities.  

“Prof.Mago was a multi sided artist. He drew and painted landscapes, portraits and in his paintings, you can see full range of human sad, happy and other quotidian human activity in both rural and urban contexts - Kashmir and Himachal hills as well as in the Northern plains” (Dhillon).

Accolades adorned his career path, including a Ford Foundation Grant, recognition as an Eminent Artist by the Punjab Art Heritage, and an esteemed Emeritus Fellowship from the Government of India’s Development of Culture.

Pran Nath Mago passed away on July 31, 2006 in New Delhi and is survived by his two daughters Punam and Chandrika (McDonald).

As previously mentioned, Mago was encouraged profoundly by his parents Ram Lal Mago and Parvati to appreciate the beauty in the world and to pursue his artistic interests. During his education his school teacher Tarlok Singh Chadha inspired him to practise art and further down his education he was influenced by his mentor JM Ahiwasi at the Sir JJ School of Art, Bombay, which is now Mumbai. He was also mentored by Bhabesh Sanyal in Lahore following his education in Bombay in traditional Indian miniature painting. His vision for his work also features strong cultural ties to his heritage and birthplace - janamboomi. This was seen in his exploration of folk and tribal artists over the world and the constructed compositions with the traditional motifs, attire, and plight of India at that time (Chandra).

SOCIAL INFLUENCES - THE COMMON PEOPLE

Much of Mago’s work centered around the working class of India and depicting the environment in which they reside and interact with. For example, hardworking men and women working in fields, sowing seeds, reaping the harvest, scenes capturing the fisherman in action, rickshaw pullers at work, day laborers stealing a moments rest, people on sidewalks, soldiers departing for war, sons bidding farewell to their mothers, spectacle of children on the street engrossed in marble games, women engaged in animated conversations with one another, drummers on joyous occasions, women consoling each other in times of sorrow, and a plethora of such moments that encapsulate the essence of everyday work and home life. He explores the livelihood, struggles, and mundane moments of the people in this homeland (Chandra).

Vipan Chandra writes this about his uncle’s painting in his memoir:

"As I look back on his career, it is no surprise to me that most of his work that early on won him nationwide fame showed human action and interaction young soldiers, boarding trains for war duty, women hugging each other and shedding tears in moments of shared grief., children playing and adults exchanging gossip in the streets, fishermen aiming with baskets for a catch in a stream, rickshaw pullers having a siesta on a sidewalk between hours of hard labor, and the like. His drawings and paintings have thus become a veritable record of the society and culture of Punjab and nearby Kashmir in the 40s and 50s" (McDonald)

The genre of socialist realism became popular in the years following 1950 Communist China in art and literature were it aimed to promote unity among class workers such as farmers and factory laborer's but was rigid an inclined towards propaganda. Despite this, the more liberal environment of India allowed the artists and writers freedom to choose their subjects leading to a vibrant diversity of life devoid of forcefully advocating for specific messages and rather depicting the various walks of life. Indian artists thus embraced unrestrained individualism, as seen in Mago’s work. The elements infused in his works are free, authentic, and empathetic, portraying workers, families, and people in an understanding light with no underlying propagandic influence. This is seen through the genuine composition of figures and actions, authentic color palettes, and exploration of human life - both good and bad (Chandra). 

POLITICAL INFLUENCES - 1947 PARTITION 

One of the most significant events that affected Mago, his family, and his community was the 1947 Partition of India which initiated one of the most colossal human migrations in history. It resulted in Muslims relocating westward to Pakistan while Sikhs and Hindus embarked on a journey east into India (Salem). The psychological and physical  turmoil that migrants endured during this time was horrific as the Partition triggered a climate of fear and instability, compelling individuals to forsake their hard earn lands, possessions, home, and even their kin. Eventually, impoverished refugees became targets of organized assaults by armed authorities in cities like Delhi and Lahore. Professor Vipan Chandra, Mago’s nephew, recounts the explosion of violence and strife at the time.

“As we later climbed into the army vehicles, with each family allowed to take along only a small number of suitcases or steel trunks due to limited space, we know we would not be able to see our homes again. With armed soldiers standing on the outboards of our trucks, the convoy was to make its way via Jhelum and Lahore to the safe haven of Amritsar. On the way to, and passing through Lahore, we saw signs of extraordinary carnage everywhere: huge plumes of thick black smoke billowing out of burned villages on the edges of wheat and mustard fields, market areas deserted, with no human beings visible anywhere except those in our convoy. Gutted houses and shops, streets littered with bricks that had been hurled in some ignoble dance of death, and rotting human corpses that had not yet been taken away for disposal. Lahore, which my artist uncle told me later was a beautiful city of poetry and grace, exquisite palaces, forts, gardens, temples, mosques, and modern colleges where my grandpa, my father and two other uncles got their higher education, had been reduced to a ghost town during that dance" (Chandra).

DELHI SILPI CHAKRA

The Partition of India in 1947 uprooted millions of lives and drastically reshaped the cultural landscape along with more evident political and social changes. Amidst the turbulence, many artists migrated from Lahore to Delhi, like Mago,  and became members of the All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS) in Delhi. However, many artists within this group disagreed with the leadership and working conditions, echoing similar issues faced by established art societies in Bombay and Calcutta. Consequently, a segment of artists resigned from the group and started to form a new group called Shilpi Chakra which formed on March 25, 1949 by artists Krishna Kulkarni, Pran Nath Mago, B.C Sanyal, and Dhanraj Bhagat, later joined by other artist from Lahore who also migrated post-Partition ("Delhi Silpi Chakra"). The emergence of this new group was also rooted in a desire for a distinct artistic trajectory, distinct from the prevailing Bengal School trends. It also included writers, musicians, poets, critics, and dramatists along with artists. The founding members strived to provide support to artists that had relocated from Lahore and were confronting personal upheaval by establishing this group in response. Following Indian independence, the group was rooted in the belief that art should embody life, and not be divorced from it and reflect the essence of a nation's soul, Delhi Silpi Chakra emerged as a pioneering platform for modern art (Moda). The Chakra also worked according to the belief that art and culture belong to all and it was the artist's role to bring the message of creative experience to all.

The group’s activities started with meetings at Jantar Mantar, and later shifted to Sanyal’s studio at Gole Market. Their inaugural exhibition took place in November of 1949 at the barracks of the Masonic Lodge on Janpath. Afterwards, the group secured its premises at Shakar Market in 1957, hosting exhibitions, discussions, a sketching club, and a printing facility. Guest artists enriched their exhibitions through collaborations, notably the artists Sailoz Mukherjea and KG Subramanyan contributed to the groups annual showcases (Mago, Delhi Silpi Chakra).

Furthermore, the Delhi Silpi Chakra aimed to further support its members’ artistic endeavors by facilitating commercial sales through strategic exhibitions in prominent areas of Delhi like Chandni Chowk, and introduced innovative payment methods, including hire-purchase and installment plans, making art more accessible. In October 1949, they inaugurated their exhibition space, the Silpi Chakra Gallery, eventually expanding to become Dhoomimal Art Gallery in collaboration with Ram Babu of Messers, the owner of Dhoomimal Dharamdas, an art supplies shop in Connaught Place. 

However, the group experienced a decline in activities by the mid 1960s, leading to its dissolution by the end of the decade(Moda).

More recently, The Dhoomimal Gallery had an exhibition on the Delhi Silpi Chakra two years ago, see the poster on the left (April 10th 2021- August 15 2021).

At first glance, the paintings references to either of the world wars may not be immediately discernable. However, Mago amalgamates both conflicts, portraying soldiers departing for war, leaving behind their homeland and loved ones. Mago leaves it to the viewers to contemplate on the timeline as well as reflect on the presence of Punjabi soldiers in various battles over the course of history. Additionally, the work sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of World War I history which is the colonial front. Out of nearly half of the one million Indians who served abroad, 480, 000, came from Punjab due to the region's militarization ("Forgotten Punjabi Warriors"). The British strategically shifted the Indian army’s recruitment center to Punjab, acknowledging it as the home of the most martial races and the primary source of their best soldiers. During 1919, over 45% of recruits in the British army originated from Punjab (Sharma).

It is also important to note that while enlistment was voluntary, strategies were taken to appeal for Punjabi’s to join, primarily associated with their financial situation and their cultural values of honor and pride.

"The British were perceptive about how to motivate the Punjabis to join. They appealed to their honor; they worked on their love of land by granting land to those who served; they urged them to come to the aid of their friends who were serving,”

was commented by Punjabi critic Mahmood Awan, who has researched WW1. Thus, going into the conflict, the Punjabi's fought for their izzat - honor (Das). Depicted in the soldiers rigid forms that carry a palpable sense of tension, yet an undercurrent of significant and pride that permeates their demeanor. The faces of the soldiers are strategically turned away, only giving glimpses of their profiles as they refuse to meet the eyes of the viewers, depicting some internal conflict - between duty and heart. Their confident strides towards the train and the careful rendering of their paag’s (headwear) hint at the profound commitment despite the heartache of leaving their families. The juxtaposition of the Indian with their paag's and western with the solider uniform is evident. The scattered motifs like empty baskets, boxes, and absence of extravagant equipment, sheds a light on the prevailing economic struggles of time as nothing ‘extra’ is positioned into the scene. 

The composition itself portrays various figures: a son in uniform bending to touch the feet of his mother as a way of seeking blessings, soldiers boarding the train, an elderly father and young child looking on as the mother wipes her tears with her white chunni (scarf), and the two female figures in the bottom right consoling each other. The use of color, particularly white - traditionally associated with mourning in Indian culture - symbolizes grief and extends to the wider female community mourning the departure of their partners like the pair of women on the right. The white stands out from the subdued and natural color palette of the work, pushing the grief and despair felt by those that are leaving to fight as well as those left behind. Again we see Mago depicting the themes of life and the working class in this work.

Furthermore, Mago’s impressionist-inspired strokes capture the essence of the moment, skillfully merging influences from traditional Indian miniature art. While the human figures exude modern realism, the painting uses a receding perspective, focusing on symbolism and clarity of the interaction between figures over proportional accuracy (Chandra). The figures’ relation to the train and the platform is depicted with a rising surface, offering depth and dimension to the scene, leading the viewer's eye into the far distance to the bridge where figures are blurry and departing from the work.

The composition centers on faceless figures huddled together, embracing each other. The closeness of the figures blends them together, making it difficult to discern where one figure starts and the other ends. This intention amalgamation creates an intimacy, emphasized by the closeness of the hands and bodies, depicting a moment of profound personal loss and sorrow pushed further by the modern realism in the figures. While the figures exhibit proportionate hands, arms, legs, and feet, their merging nature challenges the viewers to empathize with the depicted emotion. The fullness of these figures urges viewers to reach for the entanglement of limbs. While all the figures are in pairs holding one another, there is one isolated figure in the forefront of the work, conveying a sense of solitude and loss, contrasting with the figures in the surrounding areas offering mutual solace through their dejected posture. While the face is covered, the figures are undoubtedly female, seen in their traditional Indian suits, and the ritual in which they are participating in. 

Mago deliberately employs a subdued color palette comprising browns, whites, and greens, aligning with the captured scene’s authenticity while evoking empathy and understanding rather than unsettling discomfort. The scene is kept simple as no other forms or embellishments distract the viewer from the figures. The barren environment surrounding the figures serves as a deliberate space, inviting viewers to approach the depicted ritual, putting on display the emotional gravity of the scene with the ground acting as an anchor to the portrayed sentiments. Thick and bold brushstrokes that seem to be done with a palette knife, guide the eye around the work, each stroke resembling the fluidity of water or tears, enhancing the melancholic theme of the artwork.

Butalia, Urvashi. The Other Side of Silence : Voices from the Partition of India. Duke University Press, 2018.

Chandra, Vipan. “P.N. Mago (1923–2006) — Artist, Champion of Handicrafts, Teacher, Critic, Curator, and Author: A….” Medium, 26 Aug. 2021, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Das, Santanu. “Why Half a Million People from Punjab Enlisted to Fight for Britain in World War I.” Quartz, 19 Oct. 2018, qz.com/india/1425486/british-indian-army-recruited-half-a-million-from-punjab-in-ww1.

“Delhi Silpi Chakra.” MAP Academy, 24 June 2022, mapacademy.io/article/delhi-silpi-chakra/.

Dhillon, Navpreet. “PRAN NATH MAGO.” OnePanjab, 8 June 2022, www.onepanjab.org/post/pran-nath-mago.

“Forgotten Punjabi Warriors of World War I.” The Tribune, 10 Oct. 2021, www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/forgotten-punjabi-warriors-of-world-war-i-322628.

Mago, Pran Nath, and Internet Archive. Contemporary Art in India : A Perspective. Internet Archive, New Delhi : National Book Trust, India, 2001, archive.org/details/contemporaryarti0000mago/page/230/mode/1up.

Mago, Pran Nath . “Delhi Silpi Chakra.” Criticalcollective.in, criticalcollective.in/ArtistGInner2.aspx?Aid=224&Eid=199.

McDonald, Heather . “159 in Remembrance. In Remembrance. A Painter of Our Times. Pran Nath Mago Pran Nath Mago. Circa PDF Free Download.” Docplayer.net, 2016, docplayer.net/40386473-159-in-remembrance-in-remembrance-a-painter-of-our-times-pran-nath-mago-pran-nath-mago-circa-1988.html.

Moda, Autar. “CHINAR SHADE : PRAN NATH MAGO ARTIST from PUNJAB WHO LOVED KASHMIR.” CHINAR SHADE, 13 June 2016, autarmota.blogspot.com/2016/06/pran-nath-mago-artist-from-punjab-who.html.

Purkait, Sruti. “Remembering the “Outliers, Rebels, Disruptors”: Dhoomimal Art Gallery and the Delhi Silpi Chakra – Art Fervour.” Art Fervour, 9 June 2021, artfervour.com/remembering-the-outliers-rebels-disruptors-dhoomimal-art-gallery-and-the-delhi-silpi-chakra/#:~:text=In%20Delhi%2C%20the%20Delhi%20Silpi%20Chakra%20formed%20on.

Saleem, Mahnoor. “A Visual History of the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent.” Arts Help, 26 July 2022, www.artshelp.com/partition-of-the-indian-subcontinent/.

Sharma, Sarika. “Pain of Past in Idiom of Present: Remembering Modernist Sculptor Amarnath Sehgal in His Birth Centenary Year.” The Tribune, 18 Sept. 2022, www.tribuneindia.com/news/features/pain-of-past-in-idiom-of-present-432890.

“Who Will Wear This Uniform? War Recruitment Poster .” QUARTZ, qz.com/india/1425486/british-indian-army-recruited-half-a-million-from-punjab-in-ww1.

Figure 2. “Outliers, Rebels, Disruptors Delhi Silpi Chakra.” Dhoomimal Gallery , 2021, www.dhoomimalgallery.art/exhibitions/delhi-silpi-chakra.

Figure 3. Mago, Pran Nath. Farewell, 1945, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 4. “Who Will Wear This Uniform? War Recruitment Poster .” QUARTZ, qz.com/india/1425486/british-indian-army-recruited-half-a-million-from-punjab-in-ww1.

Figure 5. Mago, Pran Nath. Mourners, 1950, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 6. Mago, Pran Nath. Himachal Rural Women Carrying Bales of Hay, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 7. Mago, Pran Nath. Siesta, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 8. Mago, Pran Nath. Drummers, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 9. Mago, Pran Nath. Rumours, 1947, uddariart.wordpress.com/2008/08/02/rumours-by-pran-nath-mago-1947/.

Figure 10. Mago, Pran Nath. Three Sisters, 1948, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 11. Mago, Pran Nath. Jallianwala Bagh Sketches, 1956, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 12. Mago, Pran Nath . A Woman from Malta, 1970, medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.

Figure 13.Mago, Pran Nath. Threatening Cloud, 1994,medium.com/@VCBoston/p-n-mago-1923-2006-artist-champion-of-handicrafts-teacher-critic-curator-and-author-a-b354a80a326a.