M.F. Husain was born in 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India.

In 2025, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (Gram Yatra) (1954), offered in the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 19 March 2025 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,18,93,97,000 ($13,750,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1956), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 10 June 2015 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹10,65,96,156.5 ($1,668,565.76). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2024, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (Reincarnation) (1957), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 26 September 2024 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹26,80,75,920 ($3,202,784.2). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2020, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Voices (1958), offered in the Husain Auction by Asta Guru, which concluded on 30 August 2020 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹18,47,47,500 ($2,510,323.38). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

Art has always been a combination of Indian literature, music, dance and architectural traditions.

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1960), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 30 March 2006 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹2,46,96,096 ($553,600). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Holi (1960), offered in the Modern Indian Art: Summer Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 11 May 2006 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹2,64,88,000 ($587,708). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Bulls (1961), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2003 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹49,38,860 ($107,507). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

Husain’s metaphor is rich and of great expressiveness. It brings a wide sweep to his way of looking at things, to his many approaches to reality. His symbols and represented objects are often startling in juxtaposition because they are drawn from such far reaches of artistic memory. Dark, intuitive, sometimes traditional symbols are cast within a contemporary design and given meanings that seem valid for this and every other time. And if the innocent in art is also the original, as indeed it is, then innocence is the other noteworthy feature of Husain’s work…Husain wields a quick, nervous line of great sensitiveness and energy. It is a versatile line, capable of both power and poetry. It divides his forms in firm definition, broods among his grouped figures. It pounds across the canvas in his horses, lurks in women’s faces in tender almost tentative hint, or threads sharply across his compositions like a scalpel, separating one figure, one face, from the other in subtly differentiated tones of colour, as though he sculpted his figures from paint. But impeccable draughtsman that he is, Husain is a greater painter and his line is never conceived apart from form and colour, from his exacting demands of spatial organisation. He has spent years exploring the interaction of line and colour in his paintings. Sometimes he has allowed his line greater definition, allowed it to build and divide with power; at others he has sought a more muted line, working inwards from the edges of the canvas, towards a face or a form, and stopping with the line only a suggestion. The result of these years has been a realisation that line moves faster than colour, that the eye catches the colour quicker but also retains it longer than the line.

In 1992, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Figures in Landscape (Kerala Series) (1967), offered in the Indian European and Oriental Paintings and Works of Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 09 October 1992 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹8,80,000 ($29,285). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1967), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Paintings by Nine Masters: Spring Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 02 March 2005 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹76,91,200 ($176,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 1995, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1969), offered in the Contemporary Indian Paintings: From The Chester and Davida Herwitz Charitable Trust by Sotheby's, which concluded on 12 June 1995 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹15,34,919 ($48,875). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Trial (1969), offered in the Indian And Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern And Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 21 September 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹2,13,62,688 ($486,400). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Bodies Drift (1971), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern Indian Paintings from The Wilberding Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 20 September 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,25,05,568 ($284,800). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

Husain’s paintings of this period reveal an almost prophetic foreshadowing of his climactic emotional experiences…His figures are frequently distorted or metamorphosed…The central concern of Husain’s art, and its dominant motif, is woman, and it is this motif that now best embodies these two moods. Man, in Husain’s view, is dynamic only in heroism. He is diminished by confusion and broken by unbelief, and these are unheroic and unbelieving times. Spiritually, woman is more enduring. Pain comes naturally to her, as do compassion and a sense of the birth and death of things…strong, angular lines and flatly applied patches of colour are the instrumentation of the female form. Woman is seen either as a creation of lyric poetry, a sculpturesque and rhythmic figure of dance, or as an agent of fecundity….

In 2000, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1972), offered in the Contemporary Indian Paintings: From the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 05 December 2000 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹24,57,000 ($52,500). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2008, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Battle Of Ganga And Jamuna: Mahabharata 12 (1972), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 20 March 2008 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹6,49,07,060 ($1,609,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Sita Hanuman (1979), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 30 March 2006 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹2,56,95,360 ($576,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 1996, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Holy mother (1980), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred Years by Sotheby's, which concluded on 08 October 1996 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹17,80,480 ($50,006.46). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Arrival Of Fifth (1981), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 23 September 2004 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹70,33,414 ($153,100). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2002, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1984), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 19 September 2002 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹28,93,095 ($59,750). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

The works which form part of That Obscure Object of Desire, too, end up with curiously poster‒like attributes. Its pictorial look is bold and cinematic, with the look of film posters. Their cinematic qualities extend to the colors which are uniform, brilliant, unbrushed and unbuilt‒up in the manner of color in films

In 2008, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Safdar Hashmi (1989), offered in the Indian Modern & Contemporary Art by Emami Chisel, which concluded on 23 February 2008 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹4,40,00,000 ($1,098,627). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Civilisation (1991), offered in the Modern Indian Art: Winter Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 07 December 2006 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹3,45,94,984 ($774,630). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 1995, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Christie's: Indian Contemporary Paintings (October 1995, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 1995, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Contemporary Indian Paintings (June 1995, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 1996, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Contemporary Indian Paintings (April 1996, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2000, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Contemporary Indian Paintings (December 2000, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2001, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Indian Contemporary Art (December 2001, Hong Kong), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2005, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Osians: Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series V (December 2005, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2005, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern and Contemporary Paintings by Nine Masters (March 2005, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Apparao Art: Art for Mission Kashmir (February 2006, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Osians: Forty Masterpieces Museum Quality Series VII (September 2006, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2007, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Modern and Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings (May 2007, Dubai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2008, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Emami Chisel: Contemporary and Modern Indian Art (November 2008, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2008, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Indian Art (March 2008, Hong Kong), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2008, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Emami Chisel: Indian Modern & Contemporary Art (February 2008, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2009, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Indian & Southeast Asian Art (March 2009, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2009, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern & Contemporary Indian Art (May 2009, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2009, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Christie's: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art (March 2009, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2010, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: South Asian Art (September 2010, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art and South Asian Art (June 2011, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art (May 2011, Goa), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Christie's: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art (September 2011, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art (March 2011, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2012, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Spring Art Auction (March 2012, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2012, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Pundole: Indian Art (February 2012, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2012, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Winter Online Auction (December 2012, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2013, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Pundole: Husain (January 2013, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2013, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art (June 2013, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2013, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art (May 2013, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2014, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Pundole: The Fine and Decorative Arts Sale (August 2014, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2014, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of DAG: India Modern (April 2014, Hong Kong), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2014, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Art Bull: Indian Modern & Contemporary Art Auction (November 2014, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2014, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Bid & Hammer: Significant Indian Art (June 2014, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2017, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art (No Reserve Auction) (December 2017, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2017, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of DAG: 20th Century Indian Art (April 2017, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2018, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Pundole: The Fine Art Sale (November 2018, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2019, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art (May 2019, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2019, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Pundole: The Works on Paper Sale (April 2019, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2020, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Husain Auction (August 2020, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2020, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art-No Reserve Auction (June 2020, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2021, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Collectors Choice (November 2021, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art (May 2022, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Artiana: South Asian Art (December 2022, Dubai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of deRivaz & Ives: Indian Modern Art (June 2022, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2023, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Treasures (September 2023, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2026, an artwork by M.F. Husain was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art (June 2026, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.