Vijay Mallya flaunts a Picasso on his yacht with pride. But the rest remain in very private domains.
MUMBAI: What’s a $104 million Picasso to India beyond a gasp and a headline? Twenty of the 37 exhibits priced from £3,000 to £300,000, were sold at the first ever Picasso exhibition held at the Vadhera Art Gallery in Delhi in February this year.
Conor Macklin of London’s Grosvenor Gallery, that co-hosted the exhibit, stated that several works were sold on the opening night to Indian artists, calling it a testament to the influence of Picasso on modern Indian art.
The most expensive work sold was Tête d’homme (1967), a felt-tip drawing priced at £57,000.
Arun Vadhera explains its timelessness, “Picasso was a breakthrough in modernity at a time when impressionists were the norm. He brought meaning to art, and the language completely changed for decades to come. There is no artist not influenced by him.” Vikram Sethi, art afficianado, and closely associated both with Harsh Goenka’s RPG art camp and the Harmony show, believes the west is more practical about a Picasso.
“In the west, it is about just buying and selling. Sometimes, it’s sold for financial need, or simply because the painting has lost value for the family’s second or third generation. At least seven or eight Picassos are traded every month,” he explains.
The bidding and buyers, whether individual or corporate, are shrouded in secrecy. “There are at least seven or eight Picassos in India, and I have seen three for sure myself,” affirms Sethi.
Vijay Mallya, flaunts the one in his yacht with pride, but the rest remain in very private domains. Does that imply a strong Indian presence in the master art marts?
Ganieve Grewal, Christie’s representative in India, confirms Indians are currently buying contemporary western art too but declined to comment on individual buyers. ‘Some of the Picassos are inherited, not always acquired at auctions,” explains Sethi.
While Picasso’s appeal is universal-Vadhera says college students in Delhi took buses to get to the auction, and corporate and individual buyers alike swarmed in-fact is Indian presence in global auctions is dwindling. “India has little or no representation in the global art mart,” agrees Vadhera.
“While in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the Tata group, especially under JRD Tata, Indian Hotels group, and Air India, would bid for international art, now, Indian corporates have no presence there.” Guess, we’ll just have to wait for the Picassos to come out of the closet.
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