Masterworks from Indian subcontinent part of Asian Art Week at Christie’s New York

Masterworks from Indian subcontinent part of Asian Art Week at Christie’s New York

As part of Asian Art Week, a wealth of masterworks from the Indian subcontinent are being hosted at Christie’s New York salerooms with the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art sale that ended yesterday, and theongoingSouth Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale (14 September 2016). The auctions present historic sculptures, bronzes and court paintings alongside art by established modern Indian artists, such as Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Syed HaiderRaza and leading contemporary masters including BhartiKher, Shilpa Gupta, A. Balasubramaniam, AnjuDodiya, AtulDodiya, JitishKallat and RanjaniShettar. The works have been open to the public at the Rockefeller Plaza since 9 September 2016. Some of the highlights of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art sale were: a rare and monumental gray schist figure of a Bodhisattva (estimate:  $600,000 – 800,000), along with a gray schist figure of a standing Buddha from Gandhara, 2nd/3rd century (estimate: $100,000 – 200,000). TheSouth Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale featuresan important canvas byVasudeo S. Gaitonde, whohas achieved a new world auction record for any modern Indian work of art (estimate: $1,800,000-2,200,000). The work was painted in 1970 when Gaitonde was recognised as being at the peak of his artistic powers receiving the prestigious Padma Shri award a year later. The auction also presents a selection of important works by modern masters including Syed HaiderRaza, Francis Newton Souza, MaqboolFida Husain and JehangirSabavala, alongside pivotal works by contemporary artists such as BhartiKher, Shilpa Gupta, JitishKallat and RanjaniShettar.