Ruined Husain painting on Gandhi family to be restored

The paintings, some of which were displayed at the gallery of Rajiv Gandhi foundation, are now being restored to their past glory at the INTACH laboratory here.

Earlier, the INTACH had restored eight paintings, including one on Indira Gandhi's assassination, done by Husain and sent to the Foundation, where it is displayed now.

"We are currently working on four paintings which were done by the noted artist. These paintings are partly ruined due to dust. Rodents have hit some of the paintings and we are reworking on the paintings without causing any damage to these wonderful artworks," Nilabh Sinha, Director of the Material Division of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said.

Four to five artists are now working to restore the paintings which depict Indira Gandhi and other members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Sinha said the paintings got ruined mainly due to dirt and dust deposits.

"We are giving our 100 per cent to restore them to their past glory. But, the people concerned should take proper care to preserve these paintings and should hang them at places where there there is little dust," Sinha said.

The material art specialist said the paintings, which are being given a new lease of life, will last for another 30-40 years.

These paintings, once restored to their past glory, will be displayed at the Foundation. A total of 16 paintings done by Husain are currently with the Foundation and eight of them have already been restored.

"In 2007, we restored a painting which depicts the assassination of Indira Gandhi titled '16 petals on her body'. Husain had called the bullets as petals. This painting was done in 1985, a year after the death of the former Prime Minister," Sinha said.

Among the paintings now being restored is a full-scale portrait of Indira Gandhi standing with the national flag.

This is not the first time that the INTACH is involved restoring articles to their past glory. It had already given a new lease of life to a set of cotton kurtas worn by Mahatma Gandhi.