Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915)

Very good condition. Colors slightly deeper then catalogue illustration.
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.

'Husain's women are always enshrouded in an invisible veil, the simplicity of their form countered by their inaccessibility...  The suppressed yearning could be for his mother, who died when he was only two years old, leaving him feeling permanently bereft.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi, 2001, p. 111.)

The current work is a rare example of a single female head with features clearly delineated. In many of his paintings Husain demonstrates his inclination towards portraying faceless and usually veiled women. This method of abstract portraiture likely results from Husain's childhood, for the artist grew up in a Muslim household, 'where the feminine presence alternates between the secretive and the visible.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi, 2001, p. 1).  Female figures in these early paintings are often identified with Husain's own mother who died when he was very young. The paintings are highly personal expressions of this loss and reveal the longing he felt for a mother figure during his childhood. 'My Mother Zainab died when I was two years old. I had fallen seriously ill and her desperate prayer was that her life should be taken and my life spared. That is exactly what happened. Though alive I counted myself extremely unfortunate. Can anyone make up for the loss of a mother? I don't even have a picture of her...Sadly I have nothing which remotely reminds me of my mother. She is just a name to me not even a memory.' (Husain quoted in Gowri Ramnaarayan, Bioscope, A Steed and A Sketchbook, Past Forward, New Delhi, 1997, p. 14).