Potrait of a German refugee who became key to India's artistic awakening

Reema Desai's book shows political cartoonist Rudolf Von Leyden championing the works of Krishnaji Howlaji Ara, M F Husain and others much before they became legendary on the international art circuit

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