Exuding a mood of protective angst and awe, the painting by MF Hussain displays a figure holding a giant vase signifying human frailty and contemplation. His vivid palette and expressive brushstrokes provide a chiaroscuro lexicon; a spontaneity that gives the work a strange, dreamlike appearance. Gradually emanating a dreamy and surreal realm through the shades that recede into darkness, the symbolic gradation through colours along with the direction of the face retell the narrative of shifting from the grasp of vice. Hussain's figurative artworks, distinguished by their bold, thick contours, imbue his subjects with a palpable sense of energy and emotion, creating a visual narrative that pulsates with vibrancy and life on the canvas