Oil on canvas, framed. Featuring five galloping horses with an eclipse in the background. Signed Husain on the lower right corner. Attributed to Maqbol Fida Husain (Indian, 1913-2011). 69.9 x 50.17 cm (27.5 x 19.8 inches).

M.F. Husain (1913-2011) was an Indian painter best known for his brightly colored works depicting horses, urban landscapes, the Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, and nude Hindu goddesses. Employing a style based in Cubism, his irreverent subject matter pushed the limits of censorship in India. “I think you don't do work for controversy alone, and whenever you do new work which people don't understand and they say it is done to create controversy,” he once said. Born Maqbool Fida Husain on September 17, 1915 in Pandharpuer, India, to a secular Muslim family, he studied calligraphy before moving to Mumbai where he worked painting cinema posters and designing toys. In 1953, Husain went to Europe for the first time where he saw the works of Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henri Matisse. Husain was forced to go into exile in 2006, due to the several lawsuits filed against him by the Indian government for his defamation of Hindu culture. For the remainder of his life he spent much of his time between Qatar and the United Kingdom. Husain died on June 9, 2011 in London, United Kingdom. Today, his works are in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai, and the National Museum of Islamic Art in Doha among others.

All lots that do not carry established documented provenance nor any past record of auction history record are described in the catalog as attributed .

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

Signed [Artist Name] : In cases in which the signature is legible in the lot, this work is described as-is with no attributions given.

By [Artist Name] : The work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : The work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : The work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : The work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : A work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: A work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : This work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).