Page 20 - M F Husain The Eternal Master
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blending sensuality and spirituality. It was a revelation for   possibilities of incorporating strong, vivid colours such as
                                                                                                                                                                            Husain. Indian classical art, he discovered, celebrated life in   Indian yellow and red into his canvases. These hues would
                                                                                                                                                                            all its dimensions: religious, spiritual, and sensuous. He was   soon become his signature, his artistic voice.
                                                                                                                                                                            struck by the unabashed voluptuousness and even eroticism            Fortunately for Husain, the experience in Delhi
                                                                                                                                                                            of the female forms in Indian art.                              coincided with a time when he had already tasted some

                                                                                                                                                                                  On the other hand, exquisite Basohli miniatures from      success as an artist and was mentally primed to explore the
                                                                                                                                                                            the 17th and 18th centuries, originating from the hill state    rich traditions that could fortify his unique strengths and
                                                                                                                                                                            of Jammu, had a profound impact on his artistic psyche.         fashion his distinctive style.
                                                                                                                                                                            Notably, it’s conjectured that the early artists of the Basohli      In that same year, Husain created five paintings that
                                                                                                                                                                            School had migrated from the Malwa region, which included       traversed the vast tapestry of Indian history. Among these,

                                                                                                                                                                            Indore, Husain’s hometown.                                      his tribute to Basohli miniatures and the classical period of
                                                                                                                                                                                  Husain’s experience as a painter of cinema-hoardings      the Guptas stood out, capturing the essence of Indian art in
                                                                                                                                                                            had already instilled in him a sensitivity to the potent allure   ways that would define his oeuvre for years to come.
                                                                                                                                                                            of bold and striking colours. However, this encounter with           The 1940s were a period of transition and transformation
                                                                                                                                                                            the Basohli miniatures awakened him to the uncharted            spanning both for India and Husain. As the nation embarked






                                                                                                                                                                            The artist in the Cast Courts at the Victoria and
                                                                                                                                                                            Albert Museum, London, 1990








                  M F Husain giving final touches to a painting







                  in 1947. The PAG was more than just a group of artists; it was a   life  and  career  and,  at  the  same  time,  revolutionize  the
                  movement. A rebellion against the established norms of the     modern art landscape in the country.
                  art world, it sought to challenge, provoke, and transcend the        In the winter of the  same year,  Husain and  Souza
                  boundaries of artistic expression.                             travelled to New Delhi to see an exhibition of Indian classical

                       Husain  joined the informed  collective in 1948  on       sculptures and miniature paintings being held at the
                  the invitation of F.N. Souza. For an outsider navigating       Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among the exhibits, the Buddhist and
                  the bustling Bombay art scene, PAG swiftly evolved into a      Hindu sculptures of the Mathura School and Gupta period
                  brotherhood that would leave an indelible mark on Husain’s     exuded elegance and mysticism, with the latter seamlessly



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