SaffronArt Auction : December 12 - 13th 2011
Online Auction of Modern & Contemporary Indian Art
By Ashvin Rajagopalan
This edition of SaffronArt's auction sees some refreshing change in the curatorial choices of works that will be available online on December 12 - 13th 2011. The overall quality of works are extremely high, with each work exhibiting a good vintage as well as being a good representation of a particular period of the artist. There are 80 lots on offer. Dominated predominantly by the Moderns, this auction too continues to reiterate the downward trend of the Contemporary artists with only 12 Lots on offer. This auction offers an excellent chance for collectors to buy some historical works. Another point of interest with this auction is that half the lots were previously auctioned by SaffronArt.
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| Lot No.32 |
1. M F Husain,
The Pull,1952, Oil on Canvas, 47.5 x 47.5 inches. This work is simply legendary. It is probably one of the earliest works by the artist available in the market today. The mute colors of this work are typical to Husain's works of the period. He was living in Bombay at the time and most of his subjects dealt with the every day hustle of the city. This work probably reflects his understanding of the labor class's struggle. This work has great provenance as it originates from the Badrivishal Pittie (Hyderabad) collection. The work is also published as a color plate in one of Husain's most definitive books. (
fig.31, Husain, Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S. Kapur, 1971) This work has been earlier auctioned by SaffronArt in December 2006 for
INR1,35,30,165. The estimated price this time is $250,000 - $300,000 USD. This is a fair market price, however, if there are serious bidders this work could see itself crossing the $400,000 mark.
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| Lot No.40 |
2. F N Souza, Man with Still Life, 1953, Oil on Board, 35.5 x 24.5 Inches. Souza's best period of work was from the 1950's - 1970's. This work is from 1953 and is a complete example of the artist's genius. There is a emotional aesthetics that is invoked by this work. The man with still life is a subject that Souza has dwelt with in later periods as well. This work is published. (
Francis Newton Souza: Bridging Western and Indian Modern, Aziz Kurtha, Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 2006). The estimated value of the work is $180,000 - $220,000 USD.
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| Lot No.13 |
3. Badri Narayan,
Still Life, Pastel on Paper, 21 x 29 Inches. As a self taught artist, Badri Narayan has consistently remains fresh with his works. He is very confortable with the small format but this work is one of his rarer, larger examples. This work is undated but is probably from his early body of works. A still life by Badri Narayan is very rare to come by and this piece is a great example of his use of colour, composition and form. Badri Narayan has remained consistent with the market forces and has been a regular part of all SaffronArt auctions. This work is estimated at INR 6,00,000 - 8,00,000.
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| Lot No.14 |
4. Badri Narayan,
Untitled, Watercolor on Paper, 10.5 x 9.5 Inches. Badri Narayan has always been a great story teller. This work paints the portrait of a completely happy family. This work comes highly recommended to collectors who wish to embark on a great journey into the Indian Art Scene. The work has a low estimate of INR1,00,000 - 1,50,000. This work would probably achieve an hammer price of INR 2,50,000
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| Lot No.2 |
5. M F Husain,
Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 35x23 Inches. This work by Husain is a solid representation of his sheer power of expression. This work has been auctioned in December 2005 by SaffronArt for INR
68,09,009 at which point this was one of the highest prices paid for a work by Husain. The work is back on offer at the same estimate of INR 60,00,000 - 70,00,000 clearly making it one of the better value buys of this auction.
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| Lot No.37 |
6. Ram Kumar, Untitled, 1967, Ink and Wax on Paper, 27.5 x 21.5 Inches. Ram Kumar has primarily been an abstractionist. However, very early on in his career he had done some figurative works mostly of vagabonds and boys. This drawing comes from that series of works. This work is a must for any collection worth its name and I am sure that this work will see some interesting bidding action. This work was auctioned in 2002 by SaffronArt for INR 7,08,000. The estimated value is INR 8,00,000 - 10,00,000. A bid as high as INR 20,00,000 would still be a good price for this rare work.
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| Lot No.9 |
7. F N Souza, Red Landscape, 1960, Oil on Canvas, 9 x 16 Inches. This work is a little gem of a piece. It for all good reasons is almost a miniature Souza. It has every aspect of a master quality work in a small sweet dose. The lines and color are unbelievably rich. Anyone how has been wanting to buy a Souza should go for this work. The work is estimated at $20,000 - 25,000 USD. This work will attract some interesting bidding.
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| Lot No.61 |
8. S H Raza, Le Village, 1956, Oil on Canvas, 18x21.5 Inches. This work by Raza is a great early example. Raza left for France in the early 50's and was immediately taken up by French Abstractionism. The work displays a partial cubist approach to landscapes as well as an abstract break down of color. Of late there has been an availability of early Raza works in auction. This work is estimated at $90,000 - 100,000 USD
All images are courtesy of SaffronArt.com
For more lots and details visit www.saffronart.com
