Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Rickshaw Puller’ sells for Rs 69.1 crore, sets world auction record for artist

Tyeb Mehta’s 2002 painting Rickshaw Puller sold for Rs 69.1 crore at auction, setting a new world auction record for the Indian modernist. The sale took place at the inaugural auction of Volte Una, a new auction house that focuses on offering one major artwork at a time. The price surpassed Mehta’s previous record of Rs 61.8 crore, set by Trussed Bull in April 2025. Rickshaw Puller is now the fourth-most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction.

Tyeb Mehta’s paintings continue to set records

Mehta’s latest auction record comes more than two decades after his work Celebration crossed the Rs 1 crore mark in 2002. The triptych, which belonged to The Times of India collection, became the first Indian painting to achieve that milestone at auction. The sale marked a turning point for the Indian art market and came late in the artist’s life. Mehta had spent much of his career working from a small, one-room apartment in Bombay, which served as his studio during the day and his bedroom at night.

Since then, his paintings, including works featuring his signature bulls, have continued to command high prices. The latest sale has taken his personal auction record to a new level. In the rankings of the most expensive Indian artworks sold at auction, Rickshaw Puller occupies the fourth position. Raja Ravi Varma holds the top spot with a work that fetched Rs 167 crore, while M F Husain’s works rank second and third.

Why did Tyeb Mehta paint rickshaw pullers?

The subject of Rickshaw Puller had a personal connection with Mehta. He first encountered rickshaw pullers as a young boy during summer holidays spent with his grandmother in Kolkata. The figures later became a recurring theme in his work. In his early paintings, rickshaw pullers appeared as sombre figures, often depicted in greys and deep reds.

The 2002 painting that fetched Rs 69.1 crore presents the puller and his vehicle almost as a single form. At the same time, the work conveys the physical strain of transporting passengers through Kolkata’s hot streets. Mehta was known for maintaining strict standards for his work and regularly destroyed paintings he considered unworthy. The latest sale therefore adds another milestone to the auction history of an artist who was exacting about what he produced.

Volte Una makes its debut with a record sale

The auction also marked the debut of Volte Una, which follows a format different from conventional art auctions. Instead of offering several lots in one sale, the auction house presents one major artwork at a time. The approach is intended to give collectors more time to study each work before placing bids. It also places emphasis on privacy during the buying process.

Tushar Jiwarajka, founder of Volte Una, said the format allows the auction house to engage with collectors directly and reduce transaction costs. "Why should a masterpiece be lost in a crowd? This way, we could expose Tyeb Mehta's painting to the most serious and discreet collectors globally in private settings," said Tushar Jiwarajka, founder of Volte Una. "We have introduced a business model that allows traditional buyer's premium to be significantly reduced, cutting transaction costs for both buyers and sellers."