What has Sotheby's got to offer at their forthcoming London auction of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, which will take place in October?

To whet the appetite of Mumbai’s art collectors, Sotheby’s recently held a preview of a few works from their upcoming sale, at the Taj Mahal Hotel. The auction of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, which offers fresh works from several European collections will coincide with Asia Week to be held in London next month. Previews are generally an indicator to gauge the interest of buyers and all indications at this preview predict a strong auction sale.

The cover lot is a painting by the nonconformist FN Souza; The Deposition: Burial of Christ, painted in 1963. Although Souza was an integral member of the progressive art group with its roots in Mumbai, he made London his home between 1949 and 1967, with short stays in Paris and Rome, after which he immigrated to the USA. The oeuvre of this prolific artist visits the themes of the Catholic Church and its various notions throughout his artistic life. Consigned from a private collection in Europe, the poignant painting is an worthy acquisition.

Vasudeo Gaitonde at his paintings’ exhibition at Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai. Image Courtesy: Sharon Lowen
Published in M. Menezes, J. Thacker, Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde: Sonata of Solitude, Boohana Arts and Research Foundation, New Delhi, 2016, p. 173​

Another highlight is a luminous painting by V S Gaitonde from 1973, originally part of a prominent collection from Japan. The restrained and contemplative canvas is a fine example of the artist's meticulous manipulation of colour, light and space through the play of pigments across the surface. Yamini Mehta, International Head of Indian and South Asian Art at Sotheby’s, spoke excitedly about the discovery of an archival photograph, in a recently published book on him, where he is standing next to the painting when it was first exhibited at the Taj Art Gallery in the 1970s. 

Painting by Ganesh Pyne

A 1969 delicate artwork by Ganesh Pyne, derived from mythology and folklore, which is executed in overlapping layers of amber, brown and pale blue is another jewel in the collection. Other prominent modern artists from the sub continent featured were Abdur Rahman Chughtai, George Keyt and Sadequain. Contemporary artists included T V Santhosh, Ravinder Reddy, Justin Ponmany and Raqib Shaw whose fantastical imagery, reflecting a cultural hybridity is represented in the sale as well.

Painting by Chughtai

An enlightening and informative talk by Edward Gibbs—Chairman, Sotheby’s India, Middle East and North Africa—on the prestigious Khosrovani-Diba Collection preceeded the preview. Formed over four decades, the collection comprises predominantly Indian miniatures by Mughal masters as well as exquisite paintings and artworks of the Rajasthani, Pahari and Company Schools. Gibbs highlighted few rare examples of the historically important collection, which goes under the hammer alongside the sale of Arts of the Islamic World in London on October 19. One of the centerpieces of this sale is the Study of a Stork eating a snail signed by Shaykh Zayn al-Din. Dated 1781, it is originally from the Impey Album, executed in Calcutta for Lady Impey in the late 18th century. The artwork made its way into the collection of Jacqueline Kennedy, whose estate was sold in a series of sales in New York in 1996, marking a milestone moment in the history of Sotheby's. 

Mehta, who has been at the forefront of the rapid changes in the Indian art market since the last decade, is optimistic about the sustainable market growth. She observes, "younger collectors are more eclectic in their tastes. They would engage with traditional miniatures as much as contemporary art. They would engage with traditional miniature as much as contemporary art work. There are no boundaries when it comes to acquisitions.”

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