Gaja Gamini and Ganesha

From the 1960's onwards, Husain painted a series of works that combined music and the female form, two of his favorite themes. Works from this series explored the relationship between the aesthetics of modern painting and those of classical Indian music and dance. These works are not so much representational paintings of female musicians as they are the artist's attempt to convert the three-dimensionality of sculptural forms onto a flat surface. In addition, certain gestures of the arms and hands convey definite meanings in traditional Indian art and dance, and the artist often alludes to these mudras in his paintings.