This painting is a part of the Paris Suite, one of the 4 suites painted for Husain’s book titled ‘88 Husains in Oils, 2003’. The book documents a series of 88 paintings by Husain created over a period of five months in four cities across the world: Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Paris.
Husain’s imagery, over several decades, has developed into a narrative iconography that allows the viewer an insight into Husain’s...
This painting is a part of the Paris Suite, one of the 4 suites painted for Husain’s book titled ‘88 Husains in Oils, 2003’. The book documents a series of 88 paintings by Husain created over a period of five months in four cities across the world: Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Paris.
Husain’s imagery, over several decades, has developed into a narrative iconography that allows the viewer an insight into Husain’s own experiences. “The dramatic is transmuted and becomes symbolic as each image is separated from its life context and, unsupported by time and history, is given the freedom of aesthetic environment. Nature, mythology, rituals, old architecture, festivals and the heraldry of the past-these sort themselves out from the records of Husain’s past experience and from his responses to them:” (Maqbool Fida Husain, texts by Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S. Kapoor, Harry N.Abrahams, INC., Publishers, New York, p.20)
In an interview with Khalid Mohamed the artist reinforces the narrative purpose of this series, as he comments on the theme of the 88 paintings, “There isn’t a presiding theme … I am merely trying to collate my experience of 60 years through the paintings.”