Having an original Pablo Picasso painting in your living room is undoubtedly a matter of pride. It may no longer be an impossible feat. Soon, Indian art connoisseurs can have a direct access to artworks by legendary modernist painters via an online art auction. The auction will bring western art for the first time in the country.
The auction features works by eminent artists such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Camille Pissarro, and Henri Matisse, among others. Leading the sale is van Gogh’s 1885 masterpiece ‘L’allee aux deux promeneurs’, estimated at USD 800,000-1million. The auction also includes a selection of prints by several of the 20th century’s most respected Western artists including Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, and Roy Lichtenstein.
In all, the Saffronart’s Inaugural Auction of Impressionist and Modern Art auction includes 73 works by 35 prominent western artists with a total estimate of USD 3.3 million to 4.2 million. So how were these works sourced? “The works were sourced from private collections as well as from galleries and dealers specialising in these artists. Our experts for this sale checked the provenance and authenticity of each work before including it in the catalogue. Consignors were excited at the opportunity to offer these works in a new market with a great potential,” says Nish Bhutani, COO, Saffronart.
He elaborates that many collectors in India have read about and experienced international genres including modern, impressionist and contemporary Western art in museums and abroad, and increasingly through exhibitions in India as well. “The concept was to give Indian art collectors an opportunity to acquire great international works of art with which they are familiar with but did not have easy access to until now. The sale also includes a selection of ceramics by Picasso as well as sculptures by Henry Moore and Lynn Chadwick. We were conscious of the growing interest of Indian collectors in Western art in the last four to five years, and we are optimistic about this pioneering auction,” adds Bhutani.
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