MAQBOOL FIDA HUSSAIN (1915-2011)

TRIBHANG (TRIPTYCH) - MODES OF TRANSPORT
SERIGRAPH IN COLOURS ON PAPER
SIGNED 'HUSAIN' IN THE LOWER RIGHT MARGIN
FRAMED AND GLAZED, WITH WHITE MOUNT AND DARK WOODEN FRAME

A THREE-PANEL COMPOSITION TRACING MODES OF TRANSPORT FROM THE BULLOCK CART TO THE AIRCRAFT, WITH THE ARTIST'S HANDWRITTEN-STYLE CAPTIONS BENEATH EACH PANEL. THE LEFT PANEL SHOWS A ROLLS ROYCE, A STEAM TRAIN, A RED ELEPHANT AND AN AIR INDIA AIRCRAFT, A COMMENTARY ON AN AGE OF URGENCY AND SPEED AND ON WHO IS THE CAPTOR AND WHO THE CAPTIVE. THE CENTRAL PANEL SHOWS A PILGRIMAGE TO PANDHARPUR IN A BULLOCK CART DRIVEN BY HANUMAN, WHILE YOUNG LOVERS RIDE A BICYCLE HIDDEN BEHIND THE FOLIAGE. THE RIGHT PANEL SHOWS DADA ABDUL IN A TONGA DRIVEN BY HIS GRANDSON MAQBOOL TO THE WEEKLY SUNDAY BAZAAR IN INDORE, AND A SARDARJI TAKING HIS FAMILY ON A BAJAJ SCOOTER TO THE GURUDWARA AT CONNAUGHT PLACE.

RENDERED IN HUSAIN'S BOLD PALETTE OF RED, COBALT BLUE, YELLOW AND BLACK, THE WORK COMBINES HIS CHARACTERISTIC CONTOURED FIGURES WITH WRY SOCIAL OBSERVATION OF INDIAN LIFE. IT IS A COMPANION TO THE "INDIAN HOUSEHOLDS" TRIPTYCH, WHICH REPEATS DADA ABDUL AND HIS FAMILY.

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