Modernist Tyeb Mehta’s early work headlines AstaGuru’s Collectors Choice auction

Indian modernist painter Tyeb Mehta's 'Figure' (1962).

A lonely, isolated figure painted with a heavy impasto technique and a restricted colour palette by modernist artist Tyeb Mehta during his early days received the highest selling price at AstaGuru’s recently held Collectors Choice auction.

The painting, titled Figure, was acquired for Rs 2.92 crore. Even though valued at a much less price than the artist’s previous works, including his ‘Bull on Rickshaw’ (1999) that fetched Rs 41.07 crore at a separate auction, the 1962 painting is deemed important for coming from Mehta’s formative years.

Mehta made Figure while visiting London with his wife. It was at this time that Mehta was deeply influenced by the works of English philosopher Francis Bacon, Nobel laureate Andre Gide and Jean-Paul Sartre. The themes of existentialist philosophy remained present in some form or other in his works throughout the career.

The auction saw a total of 164 artworks by the likes of Arpita Singh, Amrita Sher-Gil, SH Raza, MF Husain, and Krishen Khanna generating a total sale of Rs 26.24 crore.

A work titled Counting Flowers: My Benares Saree by artist Arpita Singh was sold at Rs 1.89 crore. Painted in 1997, it is an archetypal example of the artist’s visual idiom and colour composition.

Arpita Singh’s ‘Counting Flowers: My Benares Saree’ (1997).

Author D Ananth writes in his book Arpita Singh, published by Penguin India and Vadehra art Gallery, “With its bright colours, childish scrawlings, dream-like perspective and curious figures, Counting Flowers: My Benares Saree is an archetypal example of Singh’s artistic style. The painting is broadly separated into two planes of contrasting cyan and yellow, colours which are further juxtaposed with flashes of candy-floss pink.”

The auction also saw an untitled work by artist Krishen Khanna go under the hammer for Rs 1.20 crore.

Krishen Khann’s Untitled work (1982).

The Oil on Canvas created in 1982 shows Khanna’s mastery over the technicalities of painting as he “uses the device of an architectural backdrop with neoclassical features such as the arches, columns, and balconies associated with British Indian architecture,” Gayatri Sinha has written in her book on the artist, published by Vadehra Art Gallery in 2001.

Famous painter MF Husain’s three works were also part of the auction. One of them, titled Shankara was acquired at Rs 77.03 lakh.

MF Husain’s ‘Shankara’ (1961).

Depicting a figure with a serpent, the work was originally in the collection of artist Bal Chhabda, who was a very good friend of MF Husain.

Another work by the artist, a diptych from his famed Mother Teresa series sold at Rs 55.56 lakh. An untitled artwork, executed with acrylic on canvas was acquired at Rs 59.55 lakh.

An artwork titled Germination Red, part of SH Raza’s Bindu series, was also auctioned at a value of Rs 71.30 lakh. This work appeared in an auction for the first time.

An exquisite creation by Jogen Chowdhury was also showcased and sold at Rs 65.50 lakh. The 1990 work is executed with a cross-hatching technique in the medium of watercolour, pen, and colour pencils on paper. It depicts a couple, a recurring theme in the artist’s oeuvre.

Speaking on the auction result, Sunny Chandiramani, Vice President – Client Relations, AstaGuru, said, “We are extremely satisfied with the impressive result of the latest Collectors Choice online auction, which remains one of the most anticipated auctions in our annual calendar. The no reserve format enables us to showcase a diverse collection of works across mediums by the stalwarts of Modern Indian Art.”

He noted that while these auctions make for a great avenue for seasoned buyers to acquire artworks by eminent modern artists, at the same time it serves as an ideal entry point for new buyers to begin their journey in collecting art.