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Lot 80

 

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Ever since the late 1940s, when he visited an exhibition of traditional Indian art and craft in New Delhi, Husain has painted works related to classical Indian sculpture, music, and dance. Inspired by traditional Indian sculpture, where music and musicians were popular subjects, Husain attempted to capture the multifaceted nature of artistic expression on his canvas.

In these paintings, the artist sought to relate the aesthetics of... Ever since the late 1940s, when he visited an exhibition of traditional Indian art and craft in New Delhi, Husain has painted works related to classical Indian sculpture, music, and dance. Inspired by traditional Indian sculpture, where music and musicians were popular subjects, Husain attempted to capture the multifaceted nature of artistic expression on his canvas.

In these paintings, the artist sought to relate the aesthetics of modern art with the movements of classical Indian dance, the sounds of different Ragas, and the textures of temple carvings. Husain “has tuned himself into the disciplines of several arts. The vibrations of dance, music and Urdu poetry are caught in a jagged thrust of lines and colors. He can draw and paint with complete surrender to the sound and graphic representations of these modes. Musical rhythm or pure sound finds its way easily into the schemes of the paintings” (Roshan Shahani, Let History Cut Across Me without Me, Vadehra Art Gallery exhibition catalogue, 1993, p. 1).

The present lot, executed with Husain’s characteristic strong line and bold palette, communicates both motion and music through its two-dimensional surface. In the musicians’ angled arms, and folded feet, and in the dancer’s elegant pose, the artist offers his interpretation of the tribhanga posture that was commonly used in Indian sculpture to reflect movement. And in the sitar and pair of tablas, Husain evokes the simple but powerful notes of the Raga that is being played. The artist’s striking and varied palette emphasizes the sense of sound and movement in the piece, infusing it with a vibrant, rhythmic energy.

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