MAQBOOL FIDA HUSAIN (1915-2011)

Enamored by the equestrian motifs and themes he was exposed to on his travels to China and Europe, the horse remains one of the most powerful personal symbols of M. F. Husain's oeuvre. Particularly inspired by Marino Marini's sculptures, Husain's horses are often depicted as unstoppable, rampant and magnificent beasts. Their recurrent depiction is a deep metaphor for the artist's multidimensional expression of both an inner meditation and a universal subject. In this painting, Husain's swift thick impasto brush strokes coupled with his choice of green tones convey a sense of raw passion and wild untamed speed; the dilated nostrils and flowing hair rendering this majestic creature proud, powerful and valiant.