Born in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, Maqbool Fida Husain was a self-taught artist. He was an important member of the Progressive Artists Group along with Francis Newton Souza, Syed Haider Raza, Krishna Howlaji Ara, Hari Ambadas Gade, and S Bakre. After a brief stint at the Indore Art College, Husain migrated to Bombay and his work got recognition in 1947 when he won an award at the annual exhibition of the Bombay Art Society.

Husain has made a substantial contribution to the shaping of modern art in India. A versatile artist he started his career in Mumbai by painting cinema hoardings for a livelihood. His paintings are characterized by bold lines, colours and his experimentation with various material and themes that depict very real events.

Husain's artist oeuvre was not restricted to painting he has dabbled in a multitude of media such as designing toys in wood, furniture, murals, drawings, graphic-prints, installations, documentaries, short films, feature films etc. His first film 'Through the Eyes of a Painter' won a Golden Bear Award. Husain was conferred the Padma Bhushan(1973) and the Padma Vibhushan (1989).

M.F Husain's paintings are characterised by bold lines, free use of colours and his experimentation with various materials and themes. The print shows a mother with her children, dressed in a blue bordered white saree, the signature of Mother Teresa, the missionary and social worker, a symbol of humility.

The figures are delineated in modernist style with sharp, bold colour strokes defining the contours and suggesting her stance.

M.F Husain's eclectic attitude towards arts and crafts marks his mentality as truly modern. His art reflects his love and understanding of Indian tradition and culture ranging from mythology and antiquities to film and pop culture. The versatility of his art is defined by the presence of Indian elements painted in a non-traditional style.