Maqbool Fida Husain took Indian art to a new plane
Born to Fida Husain and Zaineb in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, on September 17, 1915, MF Husain developed a taste for art while studying calligraphy at a madrasa in Baroda. He then enrolled at Mumbai’s Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art and began painting cinema posters in Mumbai as well as worked for a firm that manufactured toys.
His initial creations were displayed at an exhibition in 1947 by the Bombay Art Society.
He also joined the Bombay Progressive Artists Group that was instrumental in introducing modern techniques as well as themes inspired by post-Partition India.
The artist soon made a strong impact with his bold, vibrantly-coloured paintings featuring a modified Cubist style, that earned him the moniker of India’s Picasso.
His themes ranged from Ramayana and Mahabharata, divine figures, events from India’s ancient heritage, British colonial rule, vignettes from rural and urban life including festivals and dance forms, to eminent personalities such as Gandhiji and Mother Teresa, among others.
Among his widely recognised paintings which soon became a signature motif with Husain were the lively and free spirited horses. His works interwove religious and symbolic iconography with historic figures and events as well as memories from his own life to present powerful artistic statements.
He also directed films. In 1967, he received the National Film Award for Best Experimental Film for Through the Eyes of a Painter. In 2004, he directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities that was screened in the Marché du film section of the 2004 Cannes Festival.
During the early 1950s, he visited Europe, explored places on foot and also held a solo exhibition in Zurich. This voyage of discovery included meetings with celebrated painters Picasso, Matisse, and Paul Klee. He was impressed by Klee’s knowledge of Indian philosophy.
Husain’s significant works include Man (1951), Vishwamitra (1973) and Passage Through Human Space (a series completed in the mid-1970s).
He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1991.
BRUSH WITH CONTROVERSY
In spite of being world famous, Husain ran into controversies over his depiction of Bharatmata or Mother India and some religious deities. His film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) also enraged several religious organisations.
The storm of criticism and hostile reactions prompted the artist to live in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 2006.
He wanted to return to India but the scenario back home was unsuitable for such a move. In 2010, he accepted a citizenship offer from Qatar.
Husain passed away on June 9, 2011, in London, after a bout of ill health. He was 95.
LEGACY
Husain carved a dominant position in modern Indian art by introducing modern techniques and contemporary subjects.
PERSONAL LIFE
The artist’s mother passed away when he was two years old. In 1941, Husain married Fazila Bibi and the couple had six children. She died in 1998
FACTS
1. Even though Husain’s date of birth is mentioned as September 17, 1915, there is no reliable record of it, according to the artist himself. Explaining this in conversation with his biographer, Ila Pal, he was quoted as saying: “With no documentary proof surviving, I had to invent a date of birth. I knew I was a Leo, but did not know the date and the year. But because I like the sound of September, I decided I was born on 17th September, 1917. ….”
2. When Husain was a boy, it was at a Muharram procession that he first encountered the replicas of Bada Duldul and Chhota Duldul, the brave horses of Hazrat Ali and Imam Husain, the son-in-law and grandson of the Prophet who were killed in the battle of Karbala. Duldul was the inspiration behind Husain’s famous motifs of horses.
3. The Calcutta Club refused admission to Husain, who went around barefoot, on the grounds that he had violated their dress code. A club in South Mumbai also denied him entry seeing his bare feet.
4. Husain was a special invitee along with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennial, Brazil in 1971.
5. His short film Through the Eyes of a Painter won a Golden Bear in 1967 at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also produced and directed the movie Gaja Gamini in which actor Madhuri Dixit, who was Husain’s muse in the film, portrays varied aspects of womanhood.
sources: Britannica.com, Wikipedia, thefamouspeople.com