Untitled (Lovers) 1972

M.F. Husain made this “Untitled (Lovers)” on paper using what looks like watercolor, ink and maybe wax resist. You know how watercolor bleeds? Here, it has pooled to the edges, leaving a honey-comb like texture, like the painting is breathing! I can imagine Husain on the floor, working quickly, with loose brushstrokes that describe the lovers intertwined. Look at that dark calligraphic line – it is the type that just flows right out of you! The lovers’ forms are more suggested than defined, floating on the paper. I love the earthy palette and the sense of movement. What a beautiful dance—a painting that seems to celebrate the joy of touch. It reminds me a little bit of Picasso, or maybe even Matisse. These painters are all in conversation with one another, even across time. Painting is like that. It's all just one big conversation, a language we all share!