Why artist Ram Kumar almost didn’t buy this artwork

It’s no secret that artists Ram Kumar and VS Gaitonde were close friends.

But did you know that Ram Kumar also collected Gaitonde’s artworks? One such work owned by Kumar was an untitled oil canvas painting of Gaitonde.

The painting which hung in his home, fetched the highest price at the recent South Asian modern+contemporary art auction put up by Christie’s in London.

The 1975 work fetched $2,014,635 (33 per cent above estimate). Interestingly, Kumar bought this artwork from Gaitonde at a Delhi exhibition in mid 1970s. Kumar was keen on buying another painting.

However, Tom Keehn, a common friend and Rockefeller Fund’s then India representative, requested Kumar to pick something else because he wanted Kumar’s first choice.