M.F. HUSAIN
1915-2011, IndiaMaqbool Fida Husain, commonly known as M.F. Husain, was one of India’s most celebrated modern artists, renowned for his bold, vibrantly coloured narrative paintings blending Cubist influences with Indian motifs. His works explored themes like Indian mythology, history, horses, and urban life, marking him as a pioneer of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group. Husain lived and worked primarily in Mumbai before moving into self-imposed exile in Dubai and later Doha, where he continued to paint large-scale projects, and he passed away in London in 2011.
In 2025 his legacy was further cemented with the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum in Doha’s Education City, the first institution dedicated entirely to his work.
Early life and education of Maqbool Fida Husain
Born on 17 September 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India, Husain was raised by his widowed mother and uncle after her early death. Self-taught, he moved to Mumbai in the 1930s, initially painting cinema billboards before studying briefly at the J.J. School of Art.
In 1947, he co-founded the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group, reacting to the Partition of India by fusing Indian traditions with global modernism like Cubism and Expressionism.
Maqbool Fida Husain artworks and style
Maqbool Fida Husain’s artworks fuse modernist abstraction with Indian iconography, featuring dynamic horses, goddesses, and historical epics in vivid colours and expressive lines.
Early works and developments, 1940s–1960s
Husain’s initial pieces responded to India’s independence, incorporating folk elements and Cubist fragmentation into portraits and landscapes. He gained acclaim for series on Gandhi and Mother Teresa, alongside film direction like Through the Eyes of a Painter, which won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 1967.
Mature practice and key series, 1970s–1990s
His mature style emphasised horses as symbols of energy and mythology, seen in Raj, Mahabharata, and British Raj series, often using mixed media on canvas. Commissions expanded to tapestries and public murals, blending narrative depth with bold abstraction.
Recent projects and ongoing themes, 2000s
In exile in Doha from 2006, Husain created the Arab Civilisation series, merging Arabic calligraphy with his style in works like The Battle of Badr and Arab Astronomy.
Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum in Doha
The Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum, dedicated to Maqbool Fida Husain’s art, opened in late November 2025 in Doha’s Education City, Qatar Foundation campus. Designed by Indian architect Martand Khosla from Husain’s blue house sketch, its mosaic-tiled facade houses over 35 paintings from his final Arab Civilisation series, films, tapestries, and photography. This first museum devoted to Husain celebrates his Qatar years, where he lived in self-imposed exile, showcasing his cross-cultural vision.
Awards and honours of Maqbool Fida Husain
- Padma Vibhushan, 1989
- Rajya Sabha nomination, 1986
- Padma Bhushan, 1973
- Padma Shri, 1966
- Golden Bear, Berlin Film Festival for Through the Eyes of a Painter, 1967
Exhibitions of Maqbool Fida Husain
Maqbool Fida Husain’s works feature in global institutions, from Tate Gallery to NGMA New Delhi. Following the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum in 2025, regular exhibitions focused on uncovering and celebrating the artist’s practice will be on show in Doha, Qatar.
Select solo exhibitions
- Husain: The Timeless Modernist, DAG, New Delhi, 2024
- Master Maqbool: Works by M.F. Husain, DAG, Mumbai, 2022–2023
- M.F. Husain, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi (retrospective elements)
Select group exhibitions
- Contemporary Indian Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1982
- Six Indian Painters, Tate Gallery, London, 1985
- Modern Indian Painting, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, 1986
- India Modern, DAG, New York, New Delhi, Mumbai, 2015
About this profile
Ocula contributing editor Anna Dickie edited this profile on Maqbool Fida Husain using verified sources.
M.F. Husain FAQs
Who is Maqbool Fida Husain?
Maqbool Fida Husain was an Indian modernist painter, dubbed the ‘Picasso of India’, known for Cubist-inspired works on mythology and history. He founded the Bombay Progressives and produced over 40,000 pieces.
What type of art does Maqbool Fida Husain make?
Maqbool Fida Husain created bold narrative paintings with horses, deities, and epics in vibrant colours and abstracted forms.
Where can I see work by Maqbool Fida Husain?
Works by Maqbool Fida Husain are viewable at the new Lawh Wa Qalam Museum in Doha, Qatar, NGMA New Delhi, and Tate collections.
Where was Maqbool Fida Husain born?
Maqbool Fida Husain was born in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India, in 1915.
When did Maqbool Fida Husain die?
Maqbool Fida Husain died on 9 June 2011 in London.
What is the new museum for Maqbool Fida Husain?
The Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum in Doha, opened November 2025, is the first dedicated to his art, featuring his Arab series.
Ocula | 2026
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