1915
Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India
Birth, 17 September
Biography
Maqbool Fida Husain is remembered as the most celebrated and internationally recognised Indian artist of the 20th century. His earthy bold colours and expressive brushwork became the quintessential style of Indian modernism. He was associated early on with the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group, and much of his work was inspired by his vision of a new India following the partition of 1947. His themes, often depicted in series, would include Gandhi, Mother Teresa to the British Raj and Indian urban and rural life.
An artist who was hardly confined to paint in his studio, he was a “people’s painter” who painted wherever and whenever the moment demanded. The rise of religious extremism in the 1990s resulted in Husain facing a backlash for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of the majority community. Following threats to his life, Husain was forced to leave his beloved India in 2006. His later years were spent in self-imposed exile between Qatar and London where he died in 2011.
Timeline
1919
Moved to Indore, the following years he was exposed to Urdu language and literature; he developed his calligraphic skills, practising the Kufic script and designing calligraphic monograms, or tughra
1923-31
Indore, Sidhpur, Baroda
Studies at Government Sanyogita Ganj Primary School, and is the sent to Sidhpur, Gujarat to be tutored in Islamic studies by his stepmother’s father. He is then sent to Darul Talaba boarding school in Baroda for further religious studies before moving back to Indore
1932
Indore
An unexpected encounter with artist N. S. Bendre leads to M.F. Husain enrolling in evening classes at the Indore School of Art (Diploma course) drop-out
1934
Bombay
Enrolled at the famous Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy (JJ) School of Art but is unable to continue following his father’s death
1937 - 1941
Bombay
Painted billboards for Hindi Cinema
1941
Bombay
Marries Fazila, the daughter of Mehmoodabibi who ran the kitchen where Husain ate his meals
1942
Bombay
His first son Shafat is born
1942 - 1947
Bombay
Works at Fantasy furniture shop, designing nursery furniture and wooden toys.
1947
Bombay
Came into prominence by winning an award in the Bombay Art Society’s annual show
1948
Bombay
Joins the Progressive Artists’ Group, originally formed by F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, and K. H. Ara. Their first exhibition is in Bombay Art Society
1949
Baroda
Participates in the Progressives’ second exhibition, their first outside Bombay, in Baroda
1950
Bombay
Husain has his first solo exhibition in the Bombay Art Society Salon
1952
China
First journey outside India took him to Beijing, where he travelled with Indian delegates to the 1952 Asia-Pacific Peace Conference. He meets and is profoundly influenced by eminent artists Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong
Zurich, Switzerland
First Solo exhibition abroad
1953
Visits Europe to view the works of modern masters like Paul Klee, Picasso, Matisse, Modigiliani
1954
Painted his landmark ‘Passage of Time’ piece, marking the beginning of his world renowned horse paintings
1954 & 56
Venice
Exhibited at Venice Biennale
1955
Husain painted 'Zameen', which would go on to win the National Award of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1956
Prague
Was invited by the Czechoslovak Cultural Ministry to exhibit his works at Prague’s Mánes Exhibition Hall
1957
Was commissioned to paint a mural for Air India’s Prague office
1959
Tokyo
Is offered the John D. Rockefeller III Fund fellowship but declines it. Wins the International Biennale award at the Tokyo Biennale
1960
Varanasi
Following a visit to Benares, Husain decides to break away from an impresionistic approach in his work
1964
New York
First exhibition in the United states in India House. Gives up wearing shoes for a lifetime.
1965
Visits the Indo-Pakistan war front, as well as Karbala, Iraq - the site of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain
1966
Awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India
1967
Directs the short film "Through the Eyes of a Painter" on invitation from the Government of India. It goes on to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival
1968
Receives the National Award for Best Experimental Film for 'Through the Eyes of a Painter'
Starts his Ramayana series, which he takes through rural India on a travelling exhibition
1969
Bombay
Husain's first retrospective, '21 Years of Painting', is organised by Gallery Chemould at Jehangir Art Gallery
1971
Brazil
Specially invited, along with Pablo Picasso, to the Sao Paulo Biennale. Begins his Mahabharata series.
1973
Awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India
1986
Nominated to the Rajya Sabha of Parliament
1988
Husain undergoes a double bypass heart surgery
1991
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India
1992-95
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
In collaboration with the renowned architect Balkrishna Doshi, recipient of the Pritzker Prize, M.F. Husain contributed to the creation of the Husain-Doshi ni Gufa in Ahmedabad, where he adorned the interiors with his paintings. The structure has since been renamed Amdavad ni Gufa.
1996
Hindu right wing fundamentalists take issue with his 1976 nude painting of Saraswati, and vandalise his paintings in Ahmedabad
1998
In protest against his depiction of Hanuman carrying a nude Sita, Husain’s house in Mumbai is attacked
2000
Makes Hindi feature film Gaja Gamini with leading actress Madhuri Dixit
2004
Cannes, France
Directs Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, a film he worked on with his artist son Owais Husain, which was screened in the Marché du film section of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2007
Receives the Raja Ravi Varma Award from the Government of Kerala. Makes a series of paintings based on the Hindi film Mughal-e-Azam.
2010
Accepts citizenship in Qatar, M.F. Husain embarks on a series of artworks depicting the Arabic civilization for the Qatari royal family. Simultaneously, he initiates a collection portraying the Indian civilization for Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal in London. Following his passing, the Indian series is showcased at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2011
Passes away in exile on June 9th at Royal Brompton Hospital, London. He is laid to rest in the Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, England. His demise evokes widespread mourning across India, commemorating his profound impact on the nation's cultural heritage