MF Husain Kerala IV | Human, Nature and Everyday Poetry

Kerala IV by MF Husain

September 25, 2025 Chaitya Shah

Horse IV by MF Husain

3721, Kerala IV, 41 x 40 in, Serigraph on Paper, Limited Edition of 225, 2001, LR in English (Pencil Signed)

This work reads like a quiet song between human and nature. A woman holds a pitcher on the right, while on the left a pair of faces watch. Small birds rest nearby, a tiny elephant appears like a memory, and a tall palm leaf rises through the centre like a gentle spine. At the base, a purple leaf motif on a low stool turns daily life into design.

The core energy is intimacy with the natural world. The scene invites close looking, where human presence and environment meet in easy harmony.

The painting is built with long uprights from the palm that steady the field. The humans are drawn in flowing lines that feel like single breaths. Fine marks for bird, elephant, and hands add sparkle and keep the eye moving.

Colours create the feel of place. Greens suggest cool shade and tropical depth. Cream warms the bodies. Purple and violet touch the leaf, pitcher, and ribs of the palm, giving a ceremonial lift. A thin band of blue hints at nearby water.

Taken together, this becomes Kerala through flora, water, and gentle ritual. Husain delivers calm clarity, letting us sense the nearness of leaves, the cool of water, and the poetry of everyday gestures.