.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
"Husain is a painter with a carefully selected repertoire always. Husain has flirted with the abstract, pondered on its verge, and, periodically has revived his own creative faculties by the imposition of a literary motif, much in the tradition of the artists of the past. The great thing about him is that in all this he has been essentially, and consistently Maqbool Fida Husain." (R. Bartholomew, "Paintings by S.H. Raza", Thought, 16 May 1959)
Maqbool Fida Husain was one of the founding members of the Progressive Artists" Groups and perhaps the most renowned within his own lifetime. As one of India's leading modern masters and most celebrated artists, the charismatic and erudite Husain broke from tradition and the rigidity of prevalent academic realism while never losing sight of the artistic heritage and visual culture of India. Husain began his career by painting billboards for feature films and designing furniture and toys when he first moved to Bombay in 1937. In 1947, he joined the newly formed Progressive Artists Group, a collection of likeminded avant garde artists absorbing Indian folk art, classical painting and sculpture and combining them with western styles and techniques to produce a unique mode of expression. Husain attracted critical recognition and acclaim throughout his career, participating in exhibitions and biennales the world over. Perhaps most significantly, in 1971 he was the special invitee along with Pablo Picasso for the Sao Paolo Biennale. Husain was also the recipient of the Government of India's prestigious state awards, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
Husain's iconic depiction of the female form is at the heart of the master's oeuvre, often referencing Indian temple sculpture. In this composition female dancers are presented in the tribhanga (three bends) pose, a traditional stance found in temple sculpture. Husain
emphasised this choice, stating that "in the East the human form is an entirely different structure [...] the way a woman walks in the village there are three breaks [...] from the feet, the hips and the shoulder [...] they move in rhythm, the walk of a European is erect and archaic." (Artist statement, P. Nandy, The Illustrated Weekly of India, December 4-10, 1983) The serpent which Husain depicts flanking the women, possibly Naga, the divine being that is part human and part cobra, is another iconic subject of temple sculpture in India.
In his own unique style, Husain drew from the Sanskrit philosophical notion of rasa or aesthetic rapture. He sought to express each of the artistic forms of sculpture, painting, music and dance through the two-dimensional surface of the canvas. The abstracted forms of these dancing women are rendered with his iconic, bold outlines and instantly recognisable palette. Husain's use of bright radiant hues gives these powerful figures an emotive energy and transformative power.
Maqbool Fida Husain was one of the founding members of the Progressive Artists" Groups and perhaps the most renowned within his own lifetime. As one of India's leading modern masters and most celebrated artists, the charismatic and erudite Husain broke from tradition and the rigidity of prevalent academic realism while never losing sight of the artistic heritage and visual culture of India. Husain began his career by painting billboards for feature films and designing furniture and toys when he first moved to Bombay in 1937. In 1947, he joined the newly formed Progressive Artists Group, a collection of likeminded avant garde artists absorbing Indian folk art, classical painting and sculpture and combining them with western styles and techniques to produce a unique mode of expression. Husain attracted critical recognition and acclaim throughout his career, participating in exhibitions and biennales the world over. Perhaps most significantly, in 1971 he was the special invitee along with Pablo Picasso for the Sao Paolo Biennale. Husain was also the recipient of the Government of India's prestigious state awards, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
Husain's iconic depiction of the female form is at the heart of the master's oeuvre, often referencing Indian temple sculpture. In this composition female dancers are presented in the tribhanga (three bends) pose, a traditional stance found in temple sculpture. Husain
emphasised this choice, stating that "in the East the human form is an entirely different structure [...] the way a woman walks in the village there are three breaks [...] from the feet, the hips and the shoulder [...] they move in rhythm, the walk of a European is erect and archaic." (Artist statement, P. Nandy, The Illustrated Weekly of India, December 4-10, 1983) The serpent which Husain depicts flanking the women, possibly Naga, the divine being that is part human and part cobra, is another iconic subject of temple sculpture in India.
In his own unique style, Husain drew from the Sanskrit philosophical notion of rasa or aesthetic rapture. He sought to express each of the artistic forms of sculpture, painting, music and dance through the two-dimensional surface of the canvas. The abstracted forms of these dancing women are rendered with his iconic, bold outlines and instantly recognisable palette. Husain's use of bright radiant hues gives these powerful figures an emotive energy and transformative power.