M.F Hussain: Master of Modern Indian Painting, V&A

A rare view of the legendary Indian Civilisation series in the V&A's M.F Hussain exhibition. London welcomes a new Modern Master...

In the great offensive morass of international contemporary art it is tricky to imagine someone being run out of town for being too offensive. Yet that’s exactly what happened to M.F. Husain . 

The History...

A superstar of Modern Indian art and an original, 1947 member of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group alongside F.N. Souza, at the very moment of the turbulent Partition of India by the British, Husain was known for being one of the first to break away from the traditional Indian painting, popular under the British Raj. Like the Jack of Diamonds Society had done before them in Russia, the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group were a mighty force in bringing techniques associated with Fauvism, Expressionism and Cubism to a local, traditional culture.

This won Husain international acclaim, winning prizes and being invited as guest to the 1971 Sao Paulo Biennial, alongside Picasso.  In the 1970s Husain, a Muslim by upbringing, made a series of paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses, some nude, some less-than-classical, and so began his local troubles. In 1996 they were re-printed in a Hindu magazine, and lawsuits for obscenity etc. never stopped until his death in 2011, despite his living in self-imposed exile in Doha since 2006.

The Exhibition...

These paintings on show at the V&A, were made in 2008 and reflect his worldwide fame, international status, and ultimately his acceptance by a global contemporary art audience. Commissioned by Usha Mittal – wife of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and member of Christie’s advisory board – these paintings depict 500 years of Indian history, cultural, and traditions; including a low-lit, signalling Ganesh. Hussain may have left India prematurely, but truly no one depicts the rich complexities of the subcontinent's modern history with such vibrancy and allure.