Important Notice

The depiction of animals in Husain's works has developed alongside his renditions of the human body; both forms have gained visual currency and meanings over the decades. In many of his works, the human figure is seen alongside animals-sometimes implicitly referencing a story or myth from the past, and at other times simply at the service of the storyteller-artist, enabling him to weave his tales. The forms which have become familiar over the... The depiction of animals in Husain's works has developed alongside his renditions of the human body; both forms have gained visual currency and meanings over the decades. In many of his works, the human figure is seen alongside animals-sometimes implicitly referencing a story or myth from the past, and at other times simply at the service of the storyteller-artist, enabling him to weave his tales. The forms which have become familiar over the years don multiple roles. The tiger sometimes serves as the Goddess' vehicle and at other times is seen amid foliage, simply representing the brute power that nature has endowed it with.

Writing on animal symbolism in his works, Shiv Kapur says, "(It) represent an ancient community of basic identity between man and beast, a recognition by man of his own bestial urges. In Indian mythology, gods are inseparable from the animal "vehicles" that express some of their attributes on a more basic plane. In certain cases gods are actually realised in animal form, or are viewed as capable of change from one form to the other, of transformation according to the character of the myth. As much as the animal symbol itself, it is this possibility of transfiguration, the protean quality of its image, that is of special interest to the painter" (Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S. Kapur, Husain, New York, 1971, pg. 46).

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site