Raja Ravi Varma's painting fetches Rs 11.9 cr at Sotheby's New York auction

Sotheby's recently-held auction of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art and Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art in New York was every art-lover's dream come true. Featuring works of art across 1,700 years - from the 3rd century to the 21st century - the bi-annual auction closed at USD 11,280,750 (Rs 73.9 crore approximately).

The sale featured works which for decades have been housed in prestigious private collections, including paintings by artists rarely seen on the international market. The Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art fetched USD 4.7 million while the property from the Cleveland Museum of Art brought in USD 1.1 million. The talking point, however, was a Raja Ravi Varma untitled (Damyanti), which went under the hammer for USD 1,692,500 ( Rs 11.9 crore approximately).

Talking about the sales exceeding the estimate, Yamini Mehta, International Head of Indian and South Asian Art, said, "Vigorous bidding for Raja Ravi Varma, Sayed Haider Raza, and other modern masters, translated to a 91.4% sell-through rate with 67.9% of lots exceeding their high estimates, including a series of strong prices for signature works by Maqbool Fida Husain."


Maqbool Fida Husain's 1971 Untitled (Four Women) sold for USD 9,36,500. (Image: Sotheby's)

On display, apart from other entries, were distinguished paintings by eminent artists like Satish Gujral, Maqbool Fida Husain and Francis Newton Souza.

Maqbool Fida Husain's 1971 Untitled (Four Women) - oil on canvas - which was estimated at $400/600,000 sold for USD 9,36,500. Sayed Haider Raza's Paysage - acrylic and pencil on canvas- painted in 1983 too fetched USD 588,500.

Commenting on the rising interest in art, Anu Ghosh-Mazumdar, Head of the Indian and Southeast Asian Art department in New York, said, "The sustained interest in both properties from the Cleveland Museum of Art and selections from the Lanier Collection, illustrated the global demand - from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India and beyond - for works from important collections, particularly when fresh to the market."

Now, that's one way to make a mark in the international art circuit!