Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915)

in good condition, minor areas of cracquelure and paint shrinkage to horses hind and neck, colors slightly more muted in reality, as viewed
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In classical Indian art and myth seven horses draw the chariot of the sun god Surya; they are symbols of the sun itself, of time and of knowledge.  In certain Puranic myths horses are said to have emerged from the sea and from the ether and during the early Vedic period horse sacrifice was widely prevalent. In the Indian epics and religious treatises there are illuminating references to the horse sacrifice. White and black horses were alternately favored, and it is evident that the practice was not only associated with solar worship, but was also intended to secure fertility. For Husain too they are symbols of life sustaining forces. Riderless, his horses look out across timeless landscapes or back towards an unseen audience.  The images are metaphorical, at times powerfully erotic or sublimely tragic.

'Art has to evolve from your very being, like my horses... I see them as ageless and immortal.  They draw chariots in the great epics, they stand proudly in the poorest stables, they are embodiments of strength like the dragons of China.' (M.F. Husain with Khalid Mohammed, Where art Thou, Mumbai, 2002, p. xxii).

'Husain's horse swept across continents, amalgamating various influences into a composite form. The Duldul horse, which he has seen from his childhood on tazias in Muharram processions, had been modified, first by the Chinese rendering of the horse, and then by the plasticity of form in Franz Marc and Mario Marini's balance between horizontal and vertical lines.  Husain's horses, however, are singularly his own.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives; New Delhi, 2001, p. 107).