Number Counting

When the bids are invited at the Osians auction in Mumbai on June 23,coming under the hammer will be Rare Artwork from the History of Indian Modern and Contemporary Art.

When the bids are invited at the Osians auction in Mumbai on June 23,coming under the hammer will be Rare Artwork from the History of Indian Modern and Contemporary Art. This chronological focus defines this auction more than the previous ones. Rarity comes from comparing it to what has been sold previously in the market over the last 30 years, says Osians chairman Neville Tuli.

Among the rare pieces in the 101 lots are a 1959 Tyeb Mehta charcoal and wash on paper titled Crucifixion ,a 1991 MF Husain acrylic on wood mounted on canvas that reflects two-dimensional images in cave-like structures,and Ganesh Pyne’s portrait of Rabindranath Tagore in mixed media on paper.

Estimated to garner the highest price of Rs 1.20 crore Rs 1.8 crore is an FN Souza oil on silk canvas titled Couple showing a man gently caressing a female nude. Also estimated at the same price is the work of Souzas contemporary,Mumbai-based artist Akbar Padamsees reflective oil on canvas titled Nude,which has thick brushstrokes covering a female nude. The total auction estimate is expected between Rs 22.36 crore to Rs 33.54 crore.

Tuli has the next auction planned in September. It will focus on the modern masters and our antiquities,for instance Indian miniatures, he says,adding that the auction will celebrate 10 years of Osians,which was established on June 22,2000.

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