MAQBOOL FIDA HUSAIN | Untitled (Horses)

Acquired from Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi in the 1960s 

There is slight buckling in the lower left corner. This painting is in very good condition as viewed.
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The horse was a powerful motif in Maqbool Fida Husain’s oeuvre. In the current work, two galloping horses form the central focus of the canvas. The image of the horse is a classic icon in Indian art history and features in a variety of art from early miniatures to contemporary sculptures. In Indian mythology, they symbolize the sun, power, knowledge and fertility. Husain kept returning to this subject matter throughout his life and his animals are depicted as strong, free-willed and valiant creatures, as seen in the present example.   Husain himself spoke on the subject “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 and K. Mohammed, Where Art Thou, M. F. Husain Foundation, Mumbai, 2002, p. 23) Husain’s fascination began at an early age when his grandfather would take him to the local farrier and he would encounter these graceful and powerful animals. He also came across depictions of the animal at the age of 15 during the yearly mourning for the death of the Islamic prophet, Imam Husain, (Muharram) when Muslims would carry tazias of Imam Husain’s faithful horse in a procession through the streets. There is also a Vedic horse ritual of aswamedha that takes place in India. This captivation was further impacted by two trips; a trip to China in 1953 where he studied Tang Pottery horses and a trip to Italy in 1951 where he discovered the equestrian sculptures of the Italian sculptor Marino Marini.

Known to finish a work in one sitting, Husain's lines were drawn directly with a paintbrush making no room for error once applied. This painting serves as an example of his masterful technique and the confidence with which he applied his brushstrokes. Created with a sense of power and movement, the thick red and black impasto outlines lend both dynamism and energy to this work. Husain's horses have become "a vehicle for multiple utterances - aggression, power and protection." (R. Shahani, Let History Cut Across Me Without Me, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, 1993, p. 8)