MUMBAI.- In its upcoming Modern Indian Art ‘Collectors’ Choice’ Auction, AstaGuru will present bidders with an extraordinary opportunity to acquire masterpieces and rare compositions. The auction scheduled on March 20-21, 2024 is expected to garner a tremendous response due to the vastness and diversity of the selection offered.

The collection of over 140 works traverses through different periods of Modern Indian Art with rare creations in a myriad of mediums and styles. Several of the lots will be offered without a reserve price with bidding commencing at INR 20,000.

Talking about the upcoming auction, Sneha Gautam, Vice President of Client Relations at AstaGuru Auction House says: "Our Collectors Choice format aims to showcase a large bouquet of rare and important artworks. The curation is done with a deep understanding of artistic nuances and each edition features a substantial selection. Crafting a noteworthy collection demands years of dedication, a discerning eye, and a thirst for exploration and understanding of an artist's journey and body of work. Enthusiastic collectors seek pieces that resonate with them while acknowledging the artist's skill and recognising significant milestones in their oeuvre. The fundamental goal is to offer collectors a diverse array of choices to enrich their collections and take them on a journey through the evolution of an artist's oeuvre by offering pieces that resonate deeply and validate the artist's mastery."

Adorning the cover of the auction catalogue is a work by artist Laxman Shreshtha, who is well known for meditative and intriguing abstract creations, which present the observer with limitless interpretations to arrive at. This oil on canvas work is expected to be acquired at INR 15,00,000 - 20,00,000.

The auction will present several works by artist H A Gade. Lot no 70 is a beautiful oil on canvas work titled Farms and Roads. It was executed by the artist in 1978 and is expected to sell at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000. Lot no 62 is an abstract creation from a later period of his career. The oil on canvas work is expected to be acquired at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000. A watercolour painting from the early phase of the artist’s career is also being showcased. Titled ‘Clock Tower,’ this work is estimated to be acquired at INR 4,00,000 - 6,00,000.

Another important watercolour work in the auction is lot no 37, by M F Husain. Executed circa 1960, it is estimated to sell at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000.

Lot no 60. is a brilliant example of Paramjit Singh’s exploration of colour fields. The large-scale untitled triptych spanning ten feet was executed in 2002 with oil on canvas. It is expected to be acquired at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000.

Another large-scale work offered is a vibrant and beautiful rendition of the holy city of Benares by artist Manu Parekh. Titled ‘Temple Festival at Moonlight in Kashi’ was executed in 2014 and is expected to sell at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000.

Works from three different periods of S H Raza's oeuvre are also being showcased in the upcoming auction. Lot no 98, is a work from the 1970s, a period deemed an extremely important phase in Raza’s artistic evolution. Executed with acrylic on tin in 1977, it is expected to be acquired at INR 30,00,000 - 40,00,000. Lot no 148 titled ‘Bindu Panchatatawa’ was executed in 1992 and is offered with an estimate of INR 10,00,000 - 15,00,000. Lot no 56, is titled ‘Rajasthan’ and was executed by Raza in 2012. It is estimated to sell at INR 20,00,000 - 30,00,000.

An important highlight of the auction is lot no 149, an exquisite signature style work by artist Thota Vaikuntam. Vaikuntam’s unparalleled expertise comes to fruition in his portrayal of figures, skillfully imbuing them with vitality and realism. Each stroke, meticulously applied, brings forth not just the characters themselves but their stories. Executed in 2016, this work is expected to sell at INR 40,00,000 - 60,00,000.

The auction will present work from several other luminaries of Modern Indian Art, including Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Sailoz Mookerjea, F N Souza, Sakti Burman, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, Krishen Khanna, Jogen Chowdhury, K. Laxma Goud, K.G. Subramanyan, Manu Parekh, Himmat Shah, A A Almelkar, K S Kulkarni, Avinash Chandra, Ramgopal Vijayvargiya, A A Raiba, K K Hebbar, Ram Kumar, Anjolie Ela Menon, Paresh Maity, K M Adimoolam, Arpana Caur, Manjit Bawa, and several other eminent artists.