Untitled (Two Figures with Cactus)

Made shortly after the end of his affair with Maria Zourkova, his love interest in Prague, this work must have been a deeply personal expression for M. F Husain, grappling as he was around this time with disappointments in his professional life as well. Though emotionally-drenched by the failed relationship, the artist completed some of his finest career work in this period and Untitled (Two Figures with Cactus) belongs to that category. The figures are familiar, yet detached, with the cactus representing the state of their relationship; it is the man who is unclothed and vulnerable. The tonal canvas marks the artist’s resilience and acceptance of a situation beyond his control.