LIFESTYLE
Husain breathed his last at 2.30 am local time at the Royal Brompton Hospital where he was admitted after being in 'indifferent health' for the last one-and-a-half month, family sources said.
Legendary Indian painter Maqbool Fida Husain, popularly known as 'Picasso of India' who earned both fame and wrath for his paintings, died here today at a hospital following over a month-long illness. He was 95.
Husain breathed his last at 2.30 am local time (07:00 IST) at the Royal Brompton Hospital where he was admitted after being in "indifferent health" for the last one-and-a-half month, family sources told PTI.
It was not immediately clear whether the artist, who was once a member of Rajya Sabha and had been decorated with nation's second highest award Padma Vibhushan, had any wish regarding his last rites.
The family sources said that funeral arrangements for the celebrated painter are yet to be finalised.
The painter, whose works fetched astronomical sums at the recent Bonham's auctions - the highest for any Indian artist, was living in self-exile since 2006 following a series of legal cases and death threats against him over his paintings depicting Hindu goddesses in nude.
He accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010 after surrendering his Indian passport and till the last was reticent on whether he would return to his homeland.
Born in Pandharpur in Maharashtra on September 17, 1915, Husain courted controversy over his paintings of Hindu goddesses.
His paintings on goddesses Durga and Saraswati invited the wrath of Hindu groups which attacked his house in 1998 and vandalised his art works.
In February 2006, Husain was charged with hurting sentiments of people because of his nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses.
In the wake of legal challenges and death threats in his home country, Husain had been living abroad in self-imposed exile since 2006.
As he had not responded to summons from an Indian district court in Haridwar, his properties in India were attached as per court orders and a bailable warrant was issued against him by the court.
Three of Husain paintings recently topped a Bonham's auction here, going under the hammer for Rs 2.32 crore with an untitled oil work in which the legendary artist combined his iconic subject matters -- horse and woman -- fetching Rs 1.23 crore alone.
In 1952, Husain's first solo exhibition was held at Zürich and over the next few years, his work was widely seen in Europe and the US.
In 1955, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree. In 1967, he made his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter. It was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear.
Husain was a special invitee along with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1991. Between 1990 and 2011 Husain went on to become the highest paid painter in India.
He also produced and directed a few movies, including Gaja Gamini with his muse Madhuri Dixit who was the subject of a series of his paintings which he signed as Fida.
Husain's autobiography was being made into a movie tentatively titled The Making of the Painter, starring Shreyas Talpade as the young Husain.
His name has also been included in the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World, issued by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Amman, Jordan.
Artist Pranava Prakash said, "Artists such as Husain and Raza sell because of their PR machinery, not because of their artistic merit."
In the 1990s some of Husain's works became controversial because of their portrayal of Hindu deities in the nude.
The paintings in question were created in 1970, but did not become an issue until 1996, when they were printed in Vichar Mimansa, a Hindi monthly magazine, which published them in an article headlined "MF Husain: A Painter or Butcher".
In response, eight criminal complaints were filed against Husain.
In 2004, Delhi high court dismissed these complaints of promoting enmity between different groups by painting Hindu goddesses — Durga and Sarswati, that was later compromised by Hindus."
In 1998 Husain's house was attacked by Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal and art works were vandalised. Protests against Husain also led to the closure of an exhibition in London, England.
The artist left the country stating, "matters are so legally complicated that I have been advised not to return home." He used to live in London and Dubai. A recent Supreme Court order has suspended an arrest warrant for Husain.
Parliament's winter session to begin from Nov 25, to continue till Dec 20
IPL 2025 mega auction dates announced: Check no. of players, venue, where to watch and more
Deepinder Goyal reveals customers' reaction to wife Grecia Munoz delivering Zomato orders
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy flirts with Sudha Murty in viral video from Kapil Sharma show
Ajay Devgn's fans don't want Singham Again to become a blockbuster: 'Rohit Shetty jab tak hai...'
Types, Most Popular and Where to Buy Peptides for Bodybuilding
Luxury in the City of Light: SABO Boutique Hotel Brings Elegance to Varanasi’s Sacred Ghats
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam could play for same team as Afro-Asia Cup set for revival
Shaping the Future of Web Apps: Full Stack Developer’s Expertise in API Design and Cloud Deployment
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Software Performance and Security
Mastering Linux for Superior Sound
Amid divorce rumours of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, Aaradhya praises mother in viral video
AI in Data Warehousing: Future Trends and Innovations
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio IPO worth Rs 840960 crore in 2025: All you need to know
After India's 0-3 loss against New Zealand, Shah Rukh Khan calls Gautam Gambhir...
BIG revelation on Imane Khelif, Olympic gold medallist boxer's medical repot leaked, it confirms…
Meet man who built Rs 152000 crore company, donated Rs 100 crore, now set to lead US firm as...
Visa Uncertainty: Impact of US polls on global talent
Virat Kohli turns 36: IPL franchises send heartwarming birthday wishes to legendary India cricketer
Meet Sanjay Verma, the new DGP of Maharashtra who replaced Rashmi Shukla
Anushka Sharma shares FIRST photo of Akaay, Vamika to celebrate Virat Kohli’s birthday
CAT 2024 admit card to be out today at iimcat.ac.in; know release time, steps to download
Vikas Divyakirti UPSC Tips: Check strategy to crack IAS exam, aspirants should study for...
Video of Pakistani man putting hand into chained tiger's mouth goes viral, social media reacts
Shalini Passi reveals her husband's connection to Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri Khan, they were..
SC upholds validity of UP madrassa law, says it does not violate principle of secularism
US Presidential Elections 2024: What time do the polls close; when will the results be known?
Elon Musk shares controversial post on X amid US election results, video goes viral
Mukesh Ambani's company earned Rs 15393 crore last week, his net worth now stands at...
Chhath Puja 2024: Know about Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, Usha Arghya, date, timings and puja vidhi
Virat Kohli Birthday: Legendary batter turns 36, here's a look at his incredible milestones
When Ratan Tata met his first true love after 50 years, went for dinner together, know who she was
Samantha Ruth Prabhu hits back at trolls who body-shamed her: 'If you guys...'
Two fall prey to Narayana Murthy and Mukesh Ambani's deepfake videos, lose Rs 80 lakh: Report
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?