New book explores why MF Husain didn't paint Allah the way he painted Saraswati?

DAILY O
By Ila Pal
MF Husain's Saraswati.
INDIA---The man who was written about the most was the least understood. In choosing not to articulate it, was he ensuring the sense of mystique that surrounds an artist?  It is forbidden to paint Allah. He is formless, hence the taboo, whereas it is a tradition in Hindu religion, from the beginning of history, to paint and sculpt gods and goddesses. Every art, however path-breaking, springs from traditions established earlier. The artist may then bring his imagination and inventiveness into play. There is no tradition of painting Allah. The next premise is why paint Hindu gods and goddesses nude? Once again the tradition of painting and sculpting gods and goddesses has existed agelessly. (Excerpted with permission from HarperCollins India.) [More]