Modern Indian art

Dr. Zakir Husain, 1968, Maqbool Fida Husain, Oil on Canvas

Dr. Zakir Husain, 1968, Maqbool Fida Husain, Oil on Canvas

Among celebrated artists of modern Indian art movement, Maqbool Fida Husain, Jamini Roy, Benodebehari Mukherjee, Sukumar Bose, Jogen Chowdhury, Tilottama Basu, Sass Bruner and K. Khosa’s work, to name a few, can be seen in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Maqbool Fida Husain was one of the most celebrated and internationally recognised Indian artists of the 20th century. He was born on September 17, 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharastra. Husain passed away in London on June 9, 2011.

A seated figure of Zakir Hussain who was the President of India from 1967-1969, can be seen in hues of brown and beige in M.F. Husain’s characteristic brush strokes. 

Seated in frontal pose against a background painted with thick strokes of brush, Dr. Zakir Hussain is seen wearing a bandhgala with a golden pen in his pocket while his hand rests comfortably on his thigh. His topi invites attention to the oval face with eyes in a downward gaze, encased in spectacles. A pointed nose contours towards his large ears in amalgam with a French beard and a downturned moustache.