Tyeb tops Saffron art auction

Mumbai-based artist Tyeb Mehta’s work, Kali was sold for a hefty $987,000 at the Saffrontart Online Auction of modern Indian artworks. The summer online auction featured 130 works by 41 artists and was the 17th in the series by Saffronart. It took place Thursday exclusively on www.saffronart. com with 104 lots sold with a value of $9 million.

In this auction, the 1989 oil on canvas was right on top at Lot 77 with capital and investment favour and was estimated at $875,000 to $1.1 million. Following Mehta were two pieces of art by S H Raza that contrasted in their year of origin. At Lot 50, Raza’s Terre Rouge, belonging to 1968, an acrylic on canvas was estimated at a handsome $400,000 to $600,000 and went for $602,500.

Third was Raza’s Amar Jiva, a newer work dated 2001. This acrylic on canvas estimated at $400,000 to $600,000 and sold for $575,000. MF Husain’s gorgeous Three Horses, a zesty oil on canvas belonging to 1964, which is considered to be one of his finest periods, was estimated at $350,000-$450,000 and went for $517,500.

Among India’s female artists, the one whose work is impossible to attain in the market is Arpita Singh. She is known as one who thinks with paint. Singh’s Stop Ringing the Bell, a rather recent work in the favoured pinks and blues of 2003 was estimated at $285,000-$335,000 and was sold for an impressive $385,250. Her second work went for $174,800, making her the most sought after Indian woman artist.