Up for grabs

BENGALURU: While works by the members of the Progressive Artists Group remain highly sought-after, collectors are also looking to diversify their collections with significant works by other celebrated names across the spectrum of Modern Indian art. Auction platform AstaGuru’s upcoming catalogue will present bidders a chance to acquire masterpieces and rare compositions. The auction will include a broad range of 160 lots by eminent names in the modern Indian landscape such as Amrita Sher-Gil, M F Husain, F N Souza, Ram Kumar, V S Gaitonde, 

S H Raza, Krishen Khanna, Sakti Burman, Jehangir Sabavala, Anjolie Ela Menon, G R Santosh, Biren De, T Vaikuntam, Ganesh Pyne, Nasreen Mohamedi, Sunil Das, K K Hebbar, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and many more. The bidding for all artworks will commence at Rs 20,000.

Commenting on the auction, Sneha Gautam, vice president- client relations, AstaGuru, said, “The auction offers several rare gems stretching the gamut of Indian modernism  from M F Husain’s - Homage to C V Raman - an abstract series celebrating the renowned Indian physicist, to Anjolie Ela Menon’s inimitable take on Pieta – a subject touched upon by artists over centuries.”

Leading the sale is lot 156, S H Raza’s, Bindu, an acrylic on canvas work from 1982, an image that has become highly synonymous with modern Indian art. Estimated between Rs 80 lakh – Rs 1 crore (US$ 1,11,111 – 1,38,889), the presented lot has related connotations in Indian philosophy of being the point of all creation; the source of space, cosmos, time and consciousness. 

The auction includes several key works by one of India’s most celebrated and prolific colourists, M F Husain. The works that are part of this curation offer bidders a comprehensive view of the mastery of the artist, and his desire to dabble with a range of styles, techniques, and themes. Lot 148, Family, an acrylic on canvas is larger-than-life portrait of a family by Husain. What makes this artwork extremely rare, is the fact that the artist has included himself in the composition. The catalogue also documents an image of the artist next to the unfinished piece while he was still working on it and is estimated at Rs 80 lakh – Rs 1 crore (US$ 1,11,111 – 1,38,889).

Another important work is lot 160, a set of two abstract works titled ‘Homage to C V Raman’, circa 1987, estimated between Rs 10 - Rs 15 lakh (US$ 13,889 – 20,833). In these canvases, Husain takes a detour from the figurative paintings he is known for, and pays homage to Indian physicist C V Raman, known for his ground-breaking work in the field of Physics, with ‘the Raman effect’, and the first Asian to win the prestigious Nobel prize in the field of science. AstaGuru’s upcoming Modern Indian Art- ‘Collectors Choice’ online auction will be held on November 20 and 21.
Details: astaguru.com