19th June, 2012

New Delhi: Auctioneer Saffronart is showcasing a selection of important works by modern masters and contemporary artists at its summer 2012 art auction.

The online sale on June 19-20 features a total of 70 lots by 34 artists with a total estimate of Rs 15.90 crore (USD 3.1 million) to Rs 20.75 crore (USD 3.9 million).

Among the highlights of the auction are V S Gaitonde`s `Untitled` (1971), S H Raza`s `Encountre` (1985), Bharti Kher`s `indra`s net mirror 8` (2010), and Subodh Gupta`s `Untitled` (2007).

Works by modern painters M F Husain and Ganesh Pyne as well as contemporary artists Surendran Nair and Jitish Kallat also figure in the crop of works on sale.

Reclusive modern master Gaitonde`s untitled work on canvas that he executed in the year 1971 features on the front cover of the this auction catalogue.

Another highlight is S H Raza`s "Encountre", painted in 1985, and estimated at Rs 2,00,00,000 - Rs 2,50,00,000 (USD 370,375 - USD 462,965).

In the mid 1980s, Raza began to develop a new and highly concentrated symbolic idiom by uniting his new, holistic experience of nature with a pure, plastic ordering of form. In this painting, the loose gestural brushwork of Raza?s abstract expressionism gives way to a more controlled approach to abstract forms and spaces.

Among the contemporary lots is Subodh Gupta`s "Untitled" (2007) where he explores globalization and its effects on the local, primarily the emergence of a new Indian middle-class.

Dinesh Vazirani, CEO and Co-founder of Saffronart says, "We are offering major canvases by Gaitonde, Raza, Husain and Pyne to important works on paper by Tyeb Mehta, Somnath Hore, F N Souza and K G Subramanyan our modern section is particularly strong. The collection is rounded out with exceptional contemporary works by Subodh Gupta, Jitish Kallat, Bharti Kher and Surendran Nair. Given their excellent quality and provenance, we hope to see competitive bidding from both established collectors and younger buyers".

Saffronart`s summer online auction will be accompanied by print and online catalogues, as well as preview events and private viewings in New Delhi, Mumbai and London.

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