The Catalyst: Rudolf Von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening
Author: Reema Desai (née Gehi)
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Pages: 216
Price: Rs 799
“How does a German, part-Jewish man end up in India ahead of the Second World War and become the ‘kingpin’ of an art movement?” asks arts writer and researcher Reema Desai in her introduction to The Catalyst: Rudolf Von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening.
The entire book is an answer to this question. It focuses on political cartoonist Rudolf Von Leyden (1908-1983), aka Rudi, and his role as an art critic, championing the work of Krishnaji Howlaji Ara, Maqbool
