Definitely not. She was a Lady, wife of a wealthy Florentine businessman. Did the Old Master made paintings of St.Anne, Virgin or Madonna nude? How could he? He was a true Christian! His close acquaintances and patrons included Kings, noblemen and Christian religious heads. He might have dwelt deeply and thoroughly into Christian theology and holy scriptures for creating classics on holy themes. Still his artistic expression and heavenly talents didn’t force him into unclothing these holy females of Christianity.But he did paint Lenda nude in ‘Lenda and the swan’. In that painting the swan very suggestively rest between the naked thighs of Lenda. Why he made Lenda nude and erotic? Because Lenda is from the Greek mythology, from the Pagan belief and worship of Greeks long back, centuries back, wiped away by his Christianity. Nobody is there to question Da Vinci about that nudity or erotica on Lenda .
All the Pagans have gone ashes, their visual remains locked in sculptures and epics just as architecture, literature and archeological excavations. None of the Old Masters created any of their holy figures in nude. They have made immortal creations. They were endowed with sublime talents. The strength of their geniuses was true to the times they lived. Goya’s model for ‘Nude Maja’ , the first totally profane life size female nude in Western art, was not any holy deities. Our own Old Master Raja Ravi Varma’s creations, famously or sarcastically known as ‘Calendar Godesses’ are descript in full clothes if not overdressed! In a painting depicting Sita in Asokavanam, her guards are topless women. Still Varma with finesse concealed their breasts. Nobody will say Ravi Varma has not learned or understood Hinduism well.
His method of artistic expression made his pictures of Hindu deities more divine and more revered. Did the New Western Masters created nudes of any holy deities, from any religion by way of their artistic expression? All their nudes are restricted to ordinary or extraordinary mortals. Still many of them are renowned masterpieces! Here in India we have an old man as new master. According to his colleagues/ co artists he is the greatest: most talented, distinguished, secular, gifted, international famous, high ranking, million dollar commercial- free India ever produced. His name is M F Hussain, he can be identified also as Minus Footwear Hussain. He usually stride the thorny paths of India keeping his feet naked (Now as he is in London and Dubai it is not clear still his that side is nude). Though our Hussain Sahib is a practicing Muslim his co artists and left seculars confirm that he has dived deep into the sea of Hinduism and resurfaced with many pearls of Hindu wisdom.
He created some great paintings on Hinduism combining this wisdom with his artistic expression and freedom of expression. In one of those pictures he drew Goddess Sita sitting naked on the tail of flying Hanuman. (May be Sita was taking a bath when Hanuman called on her and in a hurry to escape from Lanka she didn’t get time to dress up. This again might be the reason to cling on the tail of Hanuman instead of sitting on his back) In another, goddess Durga is sitting naked rather awkwardly on top of the head of a lion (Generally the worshippers see Goddess Durga sits on the back of the lion fully dressed but as usual Janab Hussain sees Hindu Goddesses in different light being an artist, Hindu vedantist and expressive freedom fighter). There are more pictures of Hindu Goddesses made nude by him in different postures. All these show a sadistic perversion streak. Perversion in the sense-drawing all other female figures – European lady, Indian woman, his daughter, his religion’s Fathima and all others, well dressed and sometimes over dressed. But when it comes to Hindu Goddesses it is as if his brush automatically takes a stubborn turn. Sadistic in the sense to show Hindu Goddess like these knowing perfectly well that it will be painful to the millions who worship them.
Persons in support of the Painter always pronounce the presence of artifacts at Ajanta, Ellora, Khajuraho and draw comparisons. They conveniently forget that these are made centuries back by artisans whose objectives and intentions are known to them only. Even if their purpose was bhakti and worship nobody in their right mind will adopt and adapt them to this twenty-first century. Many temples are being still built around. Can anyone point out one instance where these much maligned sculptures are incorporated?
Maqbool Fida Hussain may have learned Hinduism, but that would be in his own detached way. Since he is not a practicing Hindu his approach and understanding will be strictly different. That is why he is not feeling any guilt in drawing these pictures. These Goddesses are not of his religion, they are of a Pagan religion which he knows, but do not care. At the same time he loves his religion and doesn’t like to take liberties with it or conduct experiment. These attitudes plus the encouragement from his co artists/ secular fascists who like semi blinded horses seeks only the fulfillment of artistic expression and do not mind a minuscule about devotees pain plus immense commercial value being added internationally by this blasphemy makes this old man’s stand cemented.
P.S. His Advocate in a television interview categorically denied that anybody worship Mother India. So it is okay to draw such a picture according to him (it seems client and advocate are in perfect understanding).
Comparison of Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and MF Hussain ! and Protest Details
