Rare Works by eminent Indian modernists to go under the hammer at AstaGuru’s upcoming auction
Hyderabad: The latest edition of AstaGuru’s Modern Indian Art ‘Collectors Choice’ online auction, scheduled for June 23-24, will present bidders with an extraordinary opportunity to acquire masterpieces and rare compositions. While works by the members of the Progressive Artists’ Group continue to be highly prized among collectors, they are also thrilled to diversify their art […]
Hyderabad: The latest edition of AstaGuru’s Modern Indian Art ‘Collectors Choice’ online auction, scheduled for June 23-24, will present bidders with an extraordinary opportunity to acquire masterpieces and rare compositions. While works by the members of the Progressive Artists’ Group continue to be highly prized among collectors, they are also thrilled to diversify their art collection with significant creations by other celebrated names of Modern Indian Art.
The collection presents work from different periods of Modern Indian Art and includes exceptional creations by revered names such as Nicholas Roerich, Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, MV Dhurandhar, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, MF Husain, SH Raza, FN Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, Arpita Singh, Sakti Burman, KK Hebbar, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, and Rameshwar Broota, among other eminent artists.
Commenting on the auction, Sunny Chandiramani, vice-president – Client Relations, AstaGuru Auction House, said, “Our ‘Collectors Choice’ edition has emerged to be one of the most anticipated auctions by the collectors. It has consistently garnered tremendous response due to the vastness and diversity of the collection offered. The ‘No Reserve’ format makes it more accessible for a larger collector base to participate in the auction since bidding starts at Rs 20,000. These works have been part of noteworthy collections and also stand as significant milestones in the artists’ careers. Several of these rare gems are appearing in an auction for the first time. The auction also features sculptures by respected artists, including Prodosh Das Gupta, Sankho Chaudhuri, Himmat Shah, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, K Laxma Goud, PV Janakiram, and S Nandagopal.”
Top 5 highlighted lots:
* Leading the stellar lineup is lot no. 41, a work by artist Tyeb Mehta. Executed circa 1962, the work comes from an early period when he was inspired by the works of British figurative painter Francis Bacon. Residing in London at the time, Tyeb Mehta was also influenced by philosophical dwellings on human frailty. Executed with a heavy impasto technique and a restricted colour palette, the canvas features a lonely, isolated figure. It will be offered with an estimate of Rs 3,00,00,000 – Rs 4,00,00,000.
* A work by artist Arpita Singh, lot no. 164, is titled ‘Counting Flowers: My Benares Saree’. Executed in the year 1997, it is an archetypal example of the artist’s visual idiom, and colour composition, as well as the recurrent motifs seen in her works. It will be offered with an estimate of Rs 80,00,000 – Rs 1,00,00,000.
* Appearing in an auction for the first time, lot no. 5 is a majestic work by one of India’s ‘Navratna’ artists, Nicholas Roerich. Fondly called the ‘Master of Mountains’, Roerich was pre-eminently a symbolic painter, one whose hues of sapphire and clandestine clouds of white will forever be etched as magnificent representations of the Himalayan range. Executed circa 1940, this work will be offered with an estimate of Rs 30,00,000 – Rs 40,00,000.
* Lot no. 52 by senior modernist Krishen Khanna is a work created in the year 1982. The figurative and architectural forms rendered in a limited palette showcase Krishen Khanna’s mastery over the technicalities of painting. This work is estimated to be acquired at Rs 80,00,000 – Rs 1,00,00,000.
* A work by India’s iconic modernist MF Husain, lot no. 146, is titled ‘Shankara’. Depicting a figure with a serpent, this work was originally in the collection of artist Bal Chhabda, who was a very good friend of MF Husain. Executed circa 1961, this work also featured in a monograph published by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 1961 titled ‘Husain: Contemporary Indian Art Series’. It will be offered with an estimate of Rs 80,00,000 – Rs 1,00,00,000.
