Modern classics produced by MF Husain to be exhibited at the V&A this month
(TRAVPR.COM) UK - May 16th, 2014 - The V&A is bringing together for the first time the final nine paintings by celebrated Indian artist MF Husain this summer. The paintings are known as the Indian Civilization series and consist of eight monumental triptych paintings, each measuring 12 feet wide by six feet high, which represent Husain’s vision of the richness of Indian culture and history.
They will be on display at the V&A this summer in an exhibition that opens on 28th May and runs until 27th July 2014. For more about the exhibition, and also to access listings for other London events as well as information about London hotels, bars, restaurants, galleries and shops, see LondonTown.com, the city’s best source of information for tourists.
Husain’s Indian Civilization paintings capture the essence of India’s vibrant cities, with their colourful Hindu festivals, iconic figures and historic events. These imposing, large-scale artworks will be presented alongside a single painting of the Hindu god, Ganesha, which serves as the symbolic beginning of the series.
M.F. Husain is regarded as one of the leaders of the modern art movement in Indian painting. Born in Pandharpur, his early years were spent in Indore. Husain began his career as a painter of cinema hoardings after attending art school in Bombay (now Mumbai). Using freehand drawing and vibrant colour, he depicted Indian subject matter in the style of contemporary European art movements, particularly Cubism.
The Indian Civilization series, also known as Vision of India through Mohenje Daro to Mahatma Gandhi, was commissioned by the Mittal family in 2008 and have never previously been on public display. The paintings were made in London, where Husain spent his final years immersing himself in books about Indian history, which fed into the varied themes of the paintings. Each panel explores a different theme, together creating a personal vision of India, which Husain called ‘a museum without walls’. Interweaving religious and symbolic iconography with historic figures and events, the paintings also incorporate memories from the artist’s own life. Indian Civilization is a tribute to the country Husain loved but had to leave after his life was threatened for portraying Hindu deities in the nude. He lived in London and Qatar in self-imposed exile from 2006. The artist’s initial intention was to paint 96 panels exploring the breadth of Indian culture; unfortunately he died before he could achieve this ambition.
Husain’s handwritten notes, describing his ideas, themes and stories for each painting and explaining the scenes depicted, will be included in the exhibition guide. A short film directed by Husain, Through the Eyes of a Painter (1967), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin film festival, will also be shown. For more, see LondonTown.com.
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