Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011)

Previously in the Thomas and Martha Keehn Collection

Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art:  The Progressives, New Delhi, 2001, pl. 48

Good overall condition. Minor abrasion at center to blue pigment.
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Previously in the collection of Thomas and Martha Keehn, Husain’s delightful untitled work from the late 1950s was acquired by Jane and Abe Weisblat in New Delhi in the early 1960s. Jane and Abe Weisblat visited the Keehns and viewed their growing art collection as early as 1960, and also visited galleries and artists’ studios together.

The bold, playful lines and classic configuration of the current work are highly indicative of Husain’s energetic work from the 1950s. The elegance and economy of line reflects the confidence of the artist, suggesting a village scene replete with protagonist, antagonist and dynamic tension.

The female nude, a favored and familiar subject of the artist, rests her hands on her knees whilst an inquisitive sparrow perches on her outstretched right foot. The serene expression on the woman’s face and the ease with which both creatures negotiate the shared space suggest a sense of harmony and balance. The symbolism of the feminine and masculine elements in union is a deep-rooted theme in Indic iconography, of which Husain makes liberal use.

When asked if his images and symbols gave any particular personal or iconographical significance, Husain replied: ‘They have no extra-pictorial significance, as images. They may be symbolic if the particular relationship is effective—because two images when placed together act upon each other. The symbol then derives its life from the energy released … ’  

Bartholomew continues: “Similarly, the lamp on the woman’s thigh or beside her, with spokes or radii of light within the flask of the bulb has phallic implications. So too does the hawk, the cactus or the horse. In series after series, Husain has put these images together in varying juxtaposition. Perhaps the general inference is the same; yet each successful work is a different painting with a province of feeling determined by the construction, by the poetic premise of the composition. The subject may be the same, but the revelation each time is different,” (Bartholomew and Kapur, Husain, New York 1972, p. 21).

Compare the composition of the current work to Husain early oil paintings, circa 1956: Village Woman and also Untitled (Woman with Rooster), wherein the posturing of the female nude and her avian companion are represented.