Important Notice

The human figure has been the central motif of Husain's art, and "the vehicle for his exploration of the nature and drama of reality." (Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S Kapur, Husain, New York: Harry N Abrams, Inc., 1972, p. 36) This can be seen in the present lot, which is divided almost equally into two panels, painted with contrasting colours.

On the right, the artist depicts a lone woman against a vivid blue background. Husain used... The human figure has been the central motif of Husain's art, and "the vehicle for his exploration of the nature and drama of reality." (Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S Kapur, Husain, New York: Harry N Abrams, Inc., 1972, p. 36) This can be seen in the present lot, which is divided almost equally into two panels, painted with contrasting colours.

On the right, the artist depicts a lone woman against a vivid blue background. Husain used a similar earth.toned palette and sculptural forms to depict women in other similar works over the years. "The central concern of Husain's art, and its dominant motif, is woman... Spiritually, woman is more enduring. Pain comes naturally to her, as do compassion and a sense of the birth and death of things. In Husain's work, woman has the gift of eagerness... an d an inward attentiveness, as if she were listening to the life coursing within her." (Bartholomew and Kapur, p. 46)

In the left panel, Husain's depiction of three figures in the distance is rendered in strong lines and an earthy setting. They seem to be in conversation, perhaps observing the scene in the foreground. In Husain's work, these groups of people serve as "projections of the collective unconscious, the collectivity of such symbols guaranteeing their validity." (Bartholomew and Kapur, pp. 41.42)

Husain's masterful handling of composition and colour was informed by his studies of miniature painting, classical sculpture, and his own travels and observations of rural and urban life. "Above all else, it was the line that was Husain's strongest element and he used it with a bounding energy in his work. The deft strokes that came from an early acquaintance with calligraphy now encased the figure in simple, economic points of intersection." (Yashodhara Dalmia, "A Metaphor for Modernity," The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 109) Through masterful strokes, the present lot conveys an array of emotions and forms, and is a fine example of Husain's ability to create art that was uniquely expressive of his own vision.

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