Lot 23
  • 23

Maqbool Fida Husain

Estimate
700,000 - 900,000 HKD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Maqbool Fida Husain
  • Red Landscape
  • signed, inscribed and dated '64 on the reverse
  • oil on canvas

Provenance

Private Collection, Europe
Sotheby's New York, March 19, 2013, lot 26
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

Exhibited

London, Asia House, M. F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s - 70s, 10 May - 5 August 2006, cat. no. 12, illustrated in colour
Providence, Brown University, M. F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s - 70s, 5 February - 26 March 2010, n.p., illustrated in colour

Condition

This work is in good condition overall. There are minor signs of handling along the edges of the canvas. There are areas of surface craquelure in the lower quadrant of the composition, noticeably at the blues and oranges where the impasto is thicker. Framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

"Color is a very significant element in Indian painting... color is not light but a symbol of certain emotions... a certain mood."
Maqbool Fida Husain ("Introduction" (by Chester Herwitz) to Passage Into Human Space, p. IV).

Maqbool Fida Husain is one of India's most influential artists who had redefined art to a great extent. In 1959, Husain was given a Rockefeller scholarship to study in New York. He was exposed to the works of Abstract Expressionists such as Mark Rothko. Red Landscape, inspired by Husain's frequent trips to Rajasthan during the early 1960s, is influenced by Rothko's use of colour and composition. Colour was an important factor in the artist's paintings. In Red Landscape, the field is divided into horizontal sections of flat colour surrounded by a bare canvas border. The palette successfully combines elements of Rothko's colour techniques with that of the Indian miniature painting tradition. The Rajput miniatures that so greatly influenced Raza have also inspired Husain in this painting.