Page 137 - Manifest September 2024

Lot No. 73

M F HUSAIN

1915-2011
UNTITLED
95.5 x 47.8 in (243 x 121 cm)
Oil on canvas
Circa 1960
Signed: Verso
` 3,50,00,000 - 5,00,00,000 | $ 426,829 - 609,756
Provenance: Property from an international collection.
The artwork is originally from the collection of Chester and
Davida Herwitz and was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1996

M. F. Husain’s paintings often reflect his deep connection
to his early life experiences and the cultural milieu that
shaped him.
In the presented lot, Husain presents three figures
with obscured faces, a recurring theme in his art.
This stylistic choice is deeply personal, rooted in
the early loss of his mother, whose face he could
not remember. The faceless figures thus become
a poignant symbol of memory, loss, and identity.
The painting evokes the essence of the people and
community from Pandharpur, where Husain spent his
formative years. These figures, though devoid of facial
features, are imbued with a strong presence, highlighting
Husain’s ability to convey emotion and narrative through
form and colour rather than through facial expression.
Husain’s work also bears the influence of European
modernism, visible in the use of strong lines and flat
planes of primary colours. This blend of Indian themes
with modernist techniques illustrates Husain’s quest to
find a visual language to express his complex subjects.