Attention art lovers! Here’s your chance to get your hands on some rare gems by celebrated modernists. Mark your calendars for 20th and 21st November 2021, and be ready for AstaGuru’s ‘Modern Indian Art: Collectors Choice’ online auction.
Featuring a broad range of 160 exceptional artworks by eminent names in the modern Indian landscape such as MF Husain, Amrita Sher-Gil, FN Souza, Ram Kumar, VS Gaitonde, SH Raza, Krishen Khanna, Sakti Burman, KG Subramanyan, Nasreen Mohamedi, Sunil Das, KK Hebbar, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and many more—the auction presents an enticing opportunity to add highly sought-after artworks to your collection.
Bidding in this no-reserve auction will commence at INR 20,000. “There are various ways a buyer can place their bids—some do it online, some opt for phone bidding and some place proxy bids,” Sneha Gautam, Vice President- Client Relations, AstaGuru shares. Here are some of our favourite pieces from their upcoming sale:
MF Husain, Family
Lot 148, Family is a larger than life, acrylic on canvas portrait of a family by Husain. “The fun part about this artwork is that Husain has included himself in the composition,” Sneha smiles. “We are very particular about our provenances, so the person who has given us this painting has also given us a photograph of Husain making the painting which is included in the catalogue. Considering the size and the year—it is an ’80s work—we’re hoping for it to go at a really good price. It is estimated at 80 lakhs – 1 crore (US$ 111,111 – 138,889).” she adds.
Anjolie Ela Menon, Pieta
Lot 121 Pieta is a 1996 Anjolie Ela Menon painting that captures the moment when Jesus was taken down from the cross—but instead of mother Mary, she shows him resting in Mother Teresa’s arms. The artwork is estimated at INR 40 – 50 lakhs (US$ 55,556 – 69,444).
Sakti Burman, Sirene Aux Coquillage
Evoking the look of a weathered fresco, Lot 32 Sirene Aux Coquillage is a 1980s oil on canvas painting by contemporary Indian artist Sakti Burman. It is estimated at INR 4– 5 lakhs (US$ 5,556 – 8,333).“Burman is one of my favourite artists because I think there’s a lot of effort that goes into his artworks. He blends oils with acrylics to create a marbled effect with a mix of colours. There’s a lot of poetry to his work.” Sneha reveals.
Manjit Bawa, Untitled (Man)
“Back in the day, Manjit Bawa used to travel on his cycle and take shelter with the circus because he didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel. You can see influences from the circus performers in his work. The bold colours in his paintings are inspired by pop art.” Sneha gives us an idea about the artists’s life. Lot 48 Untitled (Man), circa 1980, will be offered in the auction at an estimate of INR 40 – 60 lakhs (US$ 55,556 – 83,333).
FN Souza, Untitled
Unlike many of his portraits and head paintings, which are heavily composed of his unrestrained and graphic style, Souza captures the beauty of the female form with utmost grace and subtlety in the presented lot. This Untitled, 1987, nude portrait of a woman by FN Souza (lot 136) is estimated at INR 30 – 40 lakhs (US$ 41,667 – 55,556).
SH Raza, Bindu
Lot 156 Bindu by SH Raza is an acrylic on canvas work from 1982 that has become highly synonymous with modern Indian art. Estimated between INR 80 lakhs – 1 crore (US$ 111,111 – 138,889), the presented lot has related connotations in Indian philosophy of being the point of all creation; the source of space, cosmos time and consciousness.
MF Husain, Homage to CV Raman
Lot 160 Homage to C V Raman, circa 1987, is estimated between INR 10 – 15 lakhs (US$ 13,889 – 20,833). “Nobody would’ve guessed this is a Husain piece. He is known for his figurative paintings, but with this artwork, he takes a more abstract route and pays homage to Indian physicist CV Raman.” Sneha says.
The auction further includes an impressive selection of sculptures by leading names including Prodosh Das Gupta, P Janakiram, Himmat Shah, Sadanand Bakre, Satish Gujral, Somnath Hore, K Laxma Goud, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar and more.
Promising authenticity and a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for Indian, contemporary and modern art, AstaGuru has successfully bridged the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of live auctions. The entire auction catalogue can be viewed on AstaGuru’s website, www.astaguru.com.
Photographs courtesy: AstaGuru
