Important Notice

M F Husain's horses encapsulate a complex and diverse plethora of cultural and artistic references. He paints them with the same frenetic energy they represent through their bucking and rearing postures. As the subjects of Husain's oeuvre, they are an amalgamation of both Indian and Western influences. As a child, Husain spent time with Acchan Mian, a farrier who was his grandfather's friend, and often fixed iron shoes on tonga horses.... M F Husain's horses encapsulate a complex and diverse plethora of cultural and artistic references. He paints them with the same frenetic energy they represent through their bucking and rearing postures. As the subjects of Husain's oeuvre, they are an amalgamation of both Indian and Western influences. As a child, Husain spent time with Acchan Mian, a farrier who was his grandfather's friend, and often fixed iron shoes on tonga horses. The horse was also a significant part of the Muharram processions he witnessed in Indore during his childhood. Duldul, the Imam's horse, was bedecked and venerated during these ceremonial processions. Chinese calligraphy also informed Husain's bold lines, and he was aware of German Expressionist Franz Marc and Italian sculptor Marino Marini's horse-themed works.

But Husain incorporated influences seamlessly to create paintings in his own inimitable style. In the present lot, two horses gallop with great speed and force towards a target which is outside the frame. Husain augments their energy using thick, black outlines and vibrant colours. Husain's choice of palette also reveals his familiarity with religious references. The white horse is a recurring motif in his paintings, appearing as a solitary figure, and is sometimes grouped with other horses. Husain was well acquainted with its significance in Hindu mythology: as the saviour appearing at the end of time, or as the horse drawing the chariot of Surya, the Sun God. So enthralled was Husain by the power of the horse, that he even refers to it in his own poetry.

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