Design

Breaking Records: Christie’s third sale collects the highest total for any auction in India

DEC 16, 2015 | By Jaina Chandwany
Syed Haider Raza’s Kundalini Pancha-Tatava, acrylic on canvas, sold at Rs 2,90,25,000 and another of his works Bindu, painted in 1983. Manjit Bawa’s Untitled (Krishna), an oil on canvas, sold at Rs 2,90,25,000 and Tyeb Mehta’s (1925-2009), Untitled (Two Figures), acrylic on canvas, sold at Rs 11,9,4,25,000. Syed Haider Raza’s Kundalini Pancha-Tatava, acrylic on canvas, sold at Rs 2,90,25,000 and another of his works Bindu, painted in 1983. Manjit Bawa’s Untitled (Krishna), an oil on canvas, sold at Rs 2,90,25,000 and Tyeb Mehta’s (1925-2009), Untitled (Two Figures), acrylic on canvas, sold at Rs 11,9,4,25,000. Jehangir Sabavala’s The Casuarina Line II, oil on canvas, sold at Rs 4,82,25,000. William Robinson, auctioneer and International Head of World Art, with Vasudeo S Gaitonde’s Untitled painting for Rs 29,30,25,000 in Mumbai. MF Husain’s Untitled (Horses and Rider), acrylic on canvas, sold at Rs 4,22,25,000.

Christie’s, world’s leading art business, hosted their third India sale of their contemporary and classical South Asian artifacts and paintings on December 15, at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai.
Five bidders across telephones battled for Untitled, an oil by artist Vasudeo S Gaitonde, painted in 1995. The painting was finally sold for a staggering Rs 29,30,25,000 (almost Rs 30 cr), breaking the previous world auction record for the artist and for the category set by Christie’s at the inaugural India sale in 2013.
All in all, their sale returns totalled Rs 97,69,90,000 ($14.7 million) making it the highest total for any Indian auction ever. It doesn’t stop just there. Christie’s announced that Rs 36,07,500 of the sale proceeds were raised to benefit the victims of the recent Chennai floods. William Robinson, International Head of World Art told us, “The funds will be shared jointly between Bhoomika Trust and Blue Cross India.”
Website: www.christies.comAlso read: Molteni Group opens a new museum in Brianza, Italy