MAQBOOL FIDA HUSAIN (1915-2011) WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER, SIGNED BOTTOM RIGHT



30 X 22 INCHES

A STRIKING AND EXPRESSIVE WATERCOLOUR DEPICTING A VEILED FEMALE FIGURE IN A WHITE SARI WITH BLUE BORDERS, SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN. RENDERED WITH HUSAIN’S CHARACTERISTIC BOLD LINEARITY AND SPONTANEOUS BRUSHWORK, THE COMPOSITION CONVEYS A STRONG SENSE OF COMPASSION, MATERNAL CARE AND HUMAN VULNERABILITY. THE DRAMATIC CONTRAST BETWEEN THE DARK, ATMOSPHERIC BACKGROUND AND THE LUMINOUS WHITE SARI DRAWS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THE CENTRAL FIGURE, WHILE THE ANIMATED GESTURES AND SIMPLIFIED FORMS OF THE SURROUNDING CHILDREN CREATE A POIGNANT NARRATIVE OF TENDERNESS AND PROTECTION.

THE WORK RELATES CLOSELY TO HUSAIN’S CELEBRATED DEPICTIONS OF MOTHER TERESA, A RECURRING SUBJECT IN HIS OEUVRE THROUGH WHICH HE EXPLORED THEMES OF CHARITY, COMPASSION AND THE HUMAN CONDITION. HIS WATERCOLOURS FREQUENTLY DEMONSTRATE HIS ABILITY TO ACHIEVE CONSIDERABLE EMOTIONAL INTENSITY THROUGH ECONOMICAL LINES, FLUID WASHES AND EXPRESSIVE FORMS.

THESE WORKS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER, MUCH LIKE THOSE BY RENOWNED ARTISTS SUCH AS M.F. HUSAIN, S.H. RAZA, F.N. SOUZA, AKBAR PADAMSEE, HEMENDRANATH MAZUMDAR, RAM KUMAR, JAMINI ROY, B. PRABHA, TYEB MEHTA, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY ARE OFTEN SOLD BY AUCTIONEERS TO COLLECTORS AROUND THE GLOBE