M.F. Husain's Tiger Attacking the Horse

One of the foremost Indian modernists of the 20th century, MF Husain is recognizably the most popular painter of horses. His horses leap and gallop in agonizing, abstracted movements across the length and breadth of his canvases. Though modern in form, Husain remained deeply rooted in India, and his imagery draws from the vast reservoir of the country's mythologies, rituals, and visual traditions. His works are thus both intensely personal and broadly archetypal. Growing up, a major source for Husain's horses was the iconic Duldul, Imam Husain's horse in the battle of Karbala, whose decorated image was carried during the Muharram processions in Indore that Husain had often watched in his boyhood. The symbol of the tiger is another bearer of myth and identity for Husain, at once the 𝙑𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙖 of the goddess and a national emblem. Rendered in stylized, angular forms, his tiger departs from naturalism and harks back to the miniature paintings and stone sculptures of the sub-continent.

Many rare visual narratives and artistic expressions come together in 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 Expressed in the Modern and Contemporary Fine & Popular Indian Arts, a compelling exhibition curated by Neville Tuli that explores the 16th Research Category for India Studies— "The Animal Human Nature Continuum" on 5th to 11th May 2026 at 📍 Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

Visit the Integrated Timeline of the artist on tuliresearchcentre.org for an extensive, in-depth analysis of the life and works of one of India's most celebrated artists!