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Lot 67

 

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Since the late 1950s, Husain has frequently turned to the classical and folk arts of India, and in particular, to sculpture, music, and dance to inspire his body of work. These paintings, however, also incorporated many of the subjects and themes from the artist’s earlier work, most notably the central female figure. Inspired by traditional Indian sculpture, where music and musicians were popular subjects, Husain attempted to capture the... Since the late 1950s, Husain has frequently turned to the classical and folk arts of India, and in particular, to sculpture, music, and dance to inspire his body of work. These paintings, however, also incorporated many of the subjects and themes from the artist’s earlier work, most notably the central female figure. Inspired by traditional Indian sculpture, where music and musicians were popular subjects, Husain attempted to capture the multifaceted and interconnected nature of artistic expression on his canvas. He sought to relate the aesthetics of modern art with the movements of classical Indian dance, the emotions evoked by the sounds of different Ragas, and the textures of temple carvings.

“By celebrating poetry, music and dance in his paintings, Husain reasserts the ancient Indian belief that all arts arise from the same creative source and excellence in one, requires a deep understanding of all the others” (K. Bikram Singh, Maqbool Fida Husain, Rahul and Art, New Delhi, 2008, p. 299).

The present lot, a large canvas executed with Husain’s characteristic strong line and bold palette, communicates both the motion of dance and the sound of music through its two-dimensional surface. The central figure, reminiscent of a wandering mendicant with one palm raised in blessing and the other supporting an ektara, seems to inspire the multihued crowd behind her to ecstatic dance. Drawing on Sufi mysticism and the teachings of the Bhakti movement that Meera Bai and Kabir spread through their devotional poems and songs, Husain highlights the inclusive nature of spirituality, dance and music.

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