Artwork
Mullah at Night
Mullah at Night is a paint painting by the Contemporary Realist artist Sohail. It dates from 1985 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Mullah at Night is a painting by Pakistani artist Tassaduq Sohail, created after his relocation to London in the early 1960s. The work depicts a bearded figure in a white turban seated on a patterned rug, illuminated by a single candle that casts a wavering light across his face.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a mullah, presented in a nocturnal forest setting alongside a fish and a white dove hovering in the night sky. Sohail employs this composition to satirically comment on religious authority, placing the cleric in a vulnerable, almost sleepy pose that undercuts his solemnity.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the painting combines delicate washes with precise line work, creating a contrast between the soft, dreamlike background and the sharply rendered candlelight. The palette is muted, with the candle’s glow providing the sole source of warm color, highlighting the artist’s restrained yet expressive handling of light.
History & Provenance
Born in Jullundhar, East Punjab in 1930, Sohail migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition and later settled in Karachi before moving to London. He studied at Central Saint Martins, where he developed his characteristic blend of satire and naïve fantasy that appears in this work.
Context
Sohail’s oeuvre frequently juxtaposes religious figures, mullahs, rabbis, priests, with absurd or compromising situations, reflecting a broader post‑colonial critique of institutional power. The nocturnal forest and surreal elements align with his penchant for fantastical landscapes populated by playful animals and symbolic motifs.
Legacy
Mullah at Night exemplifies Sohail’s unique voice within mid‑twentieth‑century South Asian diaspora art, influencing later artists who explore humor and critique in religious contexts. The painting is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection, where it contributes to the institution’s representation of South Asian modernism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sohail used to sit cross-legged on an old charpai in his Lahore studio, painting with the radio tuned to call-in shows so the voices hummed in the background.
