Important Notice

"In his drive to create an Indian contemporary art, M.F. Husain has become a master of myth, not only portraying deities and episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but in projecting historical figures into the transcendent realm of the mythic" (Susan Bean, "Now, Then, Beyond Time in India's Contemporary Art", Contemporary Indian Art: Other Realities, Marg, Mumbai, 2002, p. 48).

In the present lot, Husain offers a large portrait... "In his drive to create an Indian contemporary art, M.F. Husain has become a master of myth, not only portraying deities and episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but in projecting historical figures into the transcendent realm of the mythic" (Susan Bean, "Now, Then, Beyond Time in India's Contemporary Art", Contemporary Indian Art: Other Realities, Marg, Mumbai, 2002, p. 48).

In the present lot, Husain offers a large portrait of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the tenth leader of the Sikh religious community, which was founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the living Sikh Gurus, is known for founding the Sikh Khalsa, a collective body of initiated Sikhs, to which he transferred temporal leadership of the community. Concurrently, he passed on the spiritual leadership of the Sikhs, for perpetuity, to the sacred text known as the Guru Granth Sahib.

Also known as 'Keeper of the White Falcon', the Guru is portrayed here armed and in full regalia, accompanied by his faithful 'baaj' or falcon. Astride his dappled steed Dilbagh, also known as 'Neela Ghoda' or blue horse, the legendary leader, philosopher, warrior and poet has been immortalized by Husain in the style of 19th century miniature paintings. Dilbagh prances against a deep crimson ground, surrounded by an ochre border. Above the figures, inscribed in Gurumukhi script on an ornamental gold plaque, is the honorific 'Shri Guru Gobind Singhji, Pathshahi Dasvi', referring to the Guru as the tenth prophet-teacher of the Sikh faith.

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