Important Notice

The 70s was a revolutionary decade for the artist, who by then had attained international fame. It was also a feverish period for social and cultural waves experienced within India. Husain's figurative works portrayed a deep emotional sensitivity, owing perhaps to his own emotional response response to the tide of events taking place at the time. The Bangladesh war, followed by Indira Gandhi's imposition of an Emergency in 1975-77 were both... The 70s was a revolutionary decade for the artist, who by then had attained international fame. It was also a feverish period for social and cultural waves experienced within India. Husain's figurative works portrayed a deep emotional sensitivity, owing perhaps to his own emotional response response to the tide of events taking place at the time. The Bangladesh war, followed by Indira Gandhi's imposition of an Emergency in 1975-77 were both tumultuous events, and served as triggers for his art. The context of Abdul Wahid in this period is unknown, though it could be a result of Husain's reminiscing over a relatively happy childhood projected into the 70s. Mentioned as a close friend of Husain from his youth, Abdul Wahid's personality is conveyed with an economic use of strokes and colour. But the painting has more to offer; it is not only a documentary device. Husain tilts the frame of the portrait, making it a painting of a portrait. The date and signature are used as a device for inscribing the artist as the second person in the painting and establishing a relationship between the sitter and painter.

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