6 Most Enticing Abstract Paintings of M.F. Husain

Popularly known as ‘The Picasso of India’, Maqbool Fida Husain is undoubtedly the most widely known artist of India. He was born in 1915 in Maharashtra and died at the age of 95. During his lifetime, he made many abstract paintings which continue to win the hearts of art appreciators all around the world.

Hence, here we list some of the brilliant abstract paintings created by him, some of which have been sold at a whopping amount at international auctions. Take a look.

Abstract Paintings of M.F. Husain

1. The Puppet Dancers

M.F Husain used to love toys. He developed affection for them while working as a toy designer in a furniture company. Though he didn’t work as a toy designer for long, his adoration for toys did last. The same is evident in many of his paintings. This painting has been made by the artist using oil paint. The subjects of the painting are a horse, a warrior, a woman and a dancer. The background is made using dark colors so as to make the subjects more apparent and bright. Out of all the abstract paintings made by him, this is certainly very unique. At Sotheby’s auction, this painting was sold for more than INR 1.6 crores.

2. Battle of Ganga and Jamuna

Irrefutably, this painting in one of the most intricate and creative works of the artist. M. F Husain completed this painting in 1917. The painting is depicting the never-ending conflict between the right and the wrong. To showcase the same, the artist has integrated his style with the cubist style. Gloomy and lively colors have been used to create this painting. The painting was sold at a jaw-dropping amount of INR Nine Crores at Christie’s auction in 2008. Moreover, the title aptly justifies the painting as even that throws light on the theme of the work. Just like Jamuna and Ganga can never meet each other, two persons with extremely different opinions can never settle the battle. Furthermore, both of them have been painted partially with a dark shade and partially with a light shade. This depicts that none of the individuals is wrong or right, it’s just a matter of perception and nothing else.

3. The Horse that Looked Back

In most of the abstract paintings made by the artist, you will find the usage of the cubist style of making art. Hence, in this painting too, M.F. Husain has made a horse using this style only. The painting was sold at Sotheby’s auction for 1.3 crores. The horse seems to have stopped suddenly while he was running rapidly. Moreover, the animal is often considered as the symbol of bravery and energy. Thus, it has been used by the artist in many of his paintings as the subject.

4. Dancers under the Full Moon

The most distinct quality that sets M.F Husain apart from the rest of the artists is the way he merges the mythological characters and Indian cultures with his modern painting style. In this painting, he has yet again proved his brilliant artistic skills. A group of individuals is shown dancing in the moonlight. Nevertheless, the painting fetched more than INR 1.5 crores at Sotheby’s auction.

5. Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa had been a subject of many of M.F. Husain’s painting. He was an unremitting praiser of Mother Teresa and his deeds. She was indeed a blessing for the helpless and the elderly. Thus, intrigued by her behavior and the way she impacted lives, the artist made a series of paintings as patronage to her. The first of the series came in 1980. The whole of this series got completed in 1997. Shades of black and white acrylic colors were used on the canvas to create the paintings under this series. At Christie’s auction, one of the paintings from this series was sold for INR 1 crore.

 6. Cinq Senses

This particular creation of M.F. Hussain comes under the realm of one of the most expensive paintings made by him. The painting was sold at an astonishing amount of around INR 3.6 crores. The painting is also known as the five senses. In most of the paintings, Hussain has used dark colors for the background and light for the subjects but this painting is an exception. In this painting, dark colors have been used for the subjects and light for the background. 

The aforementioned abstract paintings are not just the most fascinating but the most expensive ones as well. However, if you are a fan of “Pablo Picasso of India” just like us, you don’t need to drown yourself in despair. You can easily buy paintings online which are an imitation of these. You can also request a customized painting at Indian Art Ideas.

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