SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART
 
Modern and Contemporary Art from India
February 25, 2011 through September 4, 2011, San Jose Museum of Art
 
 
  UNTITLED (Horses), 1970s
Oil on canvas laid on board
43 ¼ x 25 ¼ inches
Collection of Kaushie Adiseshan and Anand Rajaraman
Photo: © Christie’s Images Limited 2010

 
 
Maqbool Fida Husain
 
Born 1915, Pundharpur, Maharashtra, India
Died 2011 in London

 
Since 1951, Maqbool Fida Husain has portrayed horses with palpable energy and emotion. He uses calligraphic brushstrokes to capture their wide open mouths, bulging eyes, and galloping legs. For Husain, horses have become symbols of his nation’s search for a new identity and free expression.