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Lot 36

 

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Striking the graceful tribhanga pose seen in classical art, despite the baby on her hip and the gathri balanced on her head, the woman depicted in the present lot represents the ideal, maternal Indian woman - a theme Husain frequently painted. The details of her form, the flowers in her hair, the mudras formed by her hands, as well as the ghungru on her foot are reminiscent of classical Indian art and dance, as well... Striking the graceful tribhanga pose seen in classical art, despite the baby on her hip and the gathri balanced on her head, the woman depicted in the present lot represents the ideal, maternal Indian woman - a theme Husain frequently painted. The details of her form, the flowers in her hair, the mudras formed by her hands, as well as the ghungru on her foot are reminiscent of classical Indian art and dance, as well as ancient sculptures. "One reason why I went back to the Gupta period of sculpture was to study the human form - when the British ruled we were taught to draw a figure with the proportions from Greek and Roman sculpture... In the East, the human form is an entirely different structure... The way a woman walks in the village there are three breaks, from the feet, the hips and shoulder... they move in rhythm." (Artist quoted in Yashodhara Dalmia, "A Metaphor for Modernity," The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 102)

Although the elements of the present lot portray a picture of domesticated rural life, the title hints at Husain's involvement in the world of cinema. In his early days as a painter, he used to paint large movie billboards, and he made several films throughout his career. Two years after painting this work, Husain began filming Gaja Gamini, a film about the facets of womanhood, starring Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit. In the film, which is "in many ways an extension of his painted canvas," Dixit played the role of various idealised women throughout history, expressing Husain's belief that women are capable of taking on multiple roles during their lifetimes. (Dalmia, p. 126)

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