MAQBOOL FIDA HUSSAIN (1915-2011)

UNTITLED (SAI BABA)
OIL ON CANVAS
SIGNED 'HUSAIN' LOWER LEFT

AN ELDERLY SAINTLY FIGURE IN A WHITE TURBAN, WHITE ROBE AND SAFFRON-ORANGE SHAWL SITS AT THE RIGHT OF THE COMPOSITION, HIS HEAD FRAMED BY A LARGE GOLDEN-OCHRE HALO. HIS RAISED INDEX FINGER SUGGESTS BLESSING OR INSTRUCTION, WHILE HIS OTHER HAND RESTS ON A WOODEN STAFF. AT HIS FEET, A VEILED FEMALE FIGURE IN A BLUE SHAWL AND GREEN GARMENT SITS WITH HER FACE LEFT AS A DARK, ANONYMOUS SILHOUETTE. FROM THE LEFT, A DISEMBODIED GOLDEN ARM EXTENDS INTO THE SCENE, RELEASING A WHITE DOVE ABOVE HER HEAD. A VERTICAL BAND OF MOTTLED CRIMSON RISES BEHIND THE FIGURES, AGAINST A DEEP, EARTHY BROWN GROUND.

THE WORK IS EXECUTED IN HUSAIN'S UNMISTAKABLE IDIOM OF BOLD BLACK OUTLINES, FLATTENED FORMS AND SATURATED BLOCKS OF COLOUR, WITH THE WHITE ROBES RENDERED IN A TEXTURED, CHALKY IMPASTO THAT CONTRASTS WITH THE LUMINOUS, BRUSHED BACKGROUND. THE DOVE, THE HALO AND THE REACHING HAND LEND THE COMPOSITION A QUIET SPIRITUAL INTENSITY, REFLECTING THE ARTIST'S LIFELONG ENGAGEMENT WITH FAITH, COMPASSION AND THE SHARED SACRED IMAGERY OF INDIA'S MANY TRADITIONS.

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