South Asian attractions at Christie's New York sale

Tina Ambani's Harmony Arts Foundation bought F N Souza's painting ‘Birth' for $2.5 million at a 2008 Christie's auction, a record sum for the artist then. On September 17, the work was again under the hammer in Christie's South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale' in New York. A look at the Souza and the other artists featuring in this sale:

Francis Newton Souza

The highlight of the sale, this epic painting comprises all the subjects which were present in Souza's e a rly prac t ic e ; the pregnant outstretched nude lady with hairpins, the man in a priest's tunic, a still life on the window ledge, and a townscape with buildings and tall towers.

Syed Haider Raza

The exhibition put on display a painting by Indian artist Syed Haider Raza, which stands as an impression of Paris through the artist's eyes. The painting is inspired by Raza's early experiences in the city and the Post-Impressionist paintings.

Ram Kumar

A previously undiscovered abstract work from the late 1950s by artist Ram Kumar, this painting called Untitled (Couple) portrays the influence of modernist Amedeo Modigliani's paintings seen by him in 1950s' Paris.

Vasudeo S Gaitonde

An early work by artist Vasudeo S Gaitonde, this painting by Gaitonde is a delicate work painted in the 1950s. It depicts a rare moment of figuration and it pioneered the artist's abstract canvases.

Manjit Bawa

Artist Manjit Bawa shows the interaction between a man and a beast with a burst of colours. The lion is shown dancing and elated to meet its magicianlike tamer whose whip seems like a wand with mystical power.