Untitled (Nude)

M. F. Husain’s work often fused the gap between the sublime and the sacred. His figures—whether ordinary people or drawn from mythology—were imbued with something that instantly made them captivating. Here, Husain has used a rich palette of colours to build up the figure through careful rendering of form. The dark overtone, the head of the woman turning to look over her shoulder, one hand raised prominently (in alarm?) alludes to a strange presence that she is not comfortable about. The most striking aspect of the work, however, is the signature Husain line that runs fluidly across the canvas.