Female Figure 1950

M.F. Husain made this drawing of a Female Figure with ink on paper, and it’s the kind of piece that makes you want to pick up a brush yourself. The lines are so assured, so economical. You get the feeling Husain wasn't fussing, but really felt the form. The ink is applied thinly, almost like a wash, letting the paper breathe. But then, in places, he’s laid down thicker strokes for the shadows and the outline. Look at the way he's described the hands and the tilt of the head. It’s full of character, right? There is a dialogue happening between the form, the space and the artist which really animates it. I'm reminded of Matisse, maybe because of the subject matter. But, really, Husain has his own thing going on, a kind of modern folk sensibility, which is very special. It's a study in capturing the essence of a figure, leaving space for our imagination to wander.