Important Notice

For M F Husain, whose handling of composition, colour and symbolism was unmatched, his extensive artistic vocabulary stemmed from his vast knowledge of classical Indian aesthetics and modern sensibilities. Husain’s technical mastery allowed him to create art that was uniquely expressive of his own vision, often informed by his studies of various art forms, travels and observations. As explained by art historian Yashodhara Dalmia, “In moving from... For M F Husain, whose handling of composition, colour and symbolism was unmatched, his extensive artistic vocabulary stemmed from his vast knowledge of classical Indian aesthetics and modern sensibilities. Husain’s technical mastery allowed him to create art that was uniquely expressive of his own vision, often informed by his studies of various art forms, travels and observations. As explained by art historian Yashodhara Dalmia, “In moving from accurate depictions of reality to the unending possibilities opened up by the painterly image was akin to leaping across several centuries.” (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 101)

Often turning to folk and classical tradition for inspiration, Husain allowed his sensibilities as a modern artist to dictate his narrative. This afforded him the freedom to take subjects out of their traditional context and infuse them with new meaning onto his canvas - as seen with his works of horses. Husain found a muse in the horse at a very young age with the horse effigies that featured in the tazia processions during Muharram. A young Husain also encountered horses during his time spent at his grandfather’s closest friend, Acchan Mian’s, workshop. The latter was a farrier and fitted shoes onto Tonga horses and also worked with horses from the local Holkar King’s cavalry. These early experiences led to the animal having a profound impact on the artist, who would later come to view the animal as a symbol of passion, strength, free-will and vitality.

Over the course of his career, horses quickly became an integral icon - one that would appear frequently in his oeuvre. “The horse as a multidimensional symbolic motif was itself to interest Husain deeply. During his travels in China in 1952 he studied the Sung dynasty renderings of horses. Later, in Europe, where as he found the Renaissance horses unexciting, he was strongly attracted by Franz Marc’s work and Marino Marini’s archaic equestrian sculpture, with its balance between horizontal and vertical lines to achieve a feeling of solitary and monumental anguish. Husain’s own use of the horse motif has been, however, more intuitive and complex...” (Richard Bartholomew and Shiv Kapur, Husain, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1972, pp. 39, 40)

In the present lot, Husain presents three dynamic horses, set in a deep earthy palette, caught in motion. These formidable equine figures, accoutred with Husain’s contoured brushstrokes, radiate a sense of tenacity and raw energy. While Husain’s paintings of horses in the 70s would go on to unlock deep, restless energy, the present lot acts as a precursor, casting horses as a symbol of bounding passion, power and virility. As in his other equine portraits, here the horses “...are rampant or galloping; the manes, the fury, the working buttocks, the prancing legs, and the strong neighing heads with dilated nostrils are blocks of color which are vivid or tactile or are propelled in their significant progression by strokes of the brush or sweeps of the palette knife. The activity depicted has been transformed into the action of paint... [They] are subterranean creatures. Their nature is not intellectualized; it is rendered as sensation or as abstract movement, with a capacity to stir up vague premonitions and passions in a mixture of ritualistic fear and exultant anguish.” (Richard Bartholomew and Shiv Kapur, pp. 20, 43)

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