December 10, 2019 - June 10, 2020
Staying On: The Art of Hal Bevan Petman
Henry Charles Bevan Petman was born in 1894 in Gloucestershire, England, to parents who had a history of service in India. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, one of the foremost art schools in the United Kingdom. The Slade had a classical approach to training in art, focusing on the human form and realism, which may explain Hal’s emphasis on portraiture later on in life.
Petman left for India in 1921 where he established himself as a portraitist to the wealthy and well connected. Between 1921 and 1935, he led a peripatetic life, painting constantly and acquiring both friendships and commissions on the way.
.svg){kind=icon}
Hal opted for Pakistan in 1947, making the Rawalpindi Club his perch. Here, he painted innumerable portraits in oil. Many of them consisted of prominent and influential members of society in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Quetta. A number of his commissions came from army officers, many of which still adorn army messes today. He travelled regularly to Murree and Bhurban in the summer to paint his models. Petman died in 1980 and is buried in the Rawalpindi Christian cemetery.
