Husain, Raza, Tyeb, Khakhar and Padamsee at Sotheby's sale

A 1978 oil-on-canvas, 'Gesture' by renowned modernist painter Tyeb Mehta will go under the hammer at Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art sale here tommorrow.
The artwork estimated at Rs 7.51 cr - Rs 12.51 cr (approx), belongs to a sequence of works which brought focus to the "hands" of figures produced while Mehta lived in Delhi.
It was an illustrious time in the artist's career during which he was a key figure in the art scene of the Indian capital city.
Previously belonging to popular writer, art historian and cultural preservationist, Aman Nath, who was Mehta's neighbour in Nizamuddin in the 1970s, the painting represents an important transition in the artist's style.

The sale will also feature a strong collection of fresh- to-the-market canvases by artists like Bhupen Khakhar, Syed Haider Raza, Jehangir Sabavala and Maqbool Fida Husain.
Alongside would be auctioned an impressive selection of watercolours depicting views of early 20th century Bombay which are perfectly preserved and rare in their outstanding quality.

"This is an elegant and highly curated group of works which we are excited to present to the market. The works have a consistent high quality, are well provenanced and extremely well priced to attract collectors at all levels," Yamini Mehta, International Head of Indian and South Asian Art, said.

Other highlights of the sale include two works by Bhupen Khakhar -- 'Howard Hodgkin's House On Hand Painted Cushion', which would be going under the hammer for the first time, and an untitled portrait of Howard Hodgkin, painted in 1984.
While the first, estimated at Rs 83.46 lakhs Rs 1.25 cr, depicts Hodgkin's Wiltshire home in the UK, testifying to the close bond between these two artists, the latter comes from filmmakers Nick Gifford and his wife, Judy Marie, who were commissioned to create films on both of them.
Khakhar had gifted this work to the couple following his stay with them in their London home in 1984.

Manjit Bawa's Untitled (Figure with Bull) oil on canvas painted in 1997, vindicates his stature as one of India's most original artists. It is estimated at Rs 2.92 cr - Rs 4. 17 cr (approx).
A 1950 Untitled (Nayika) oil on canvas by M F Husain will also feature in the sale, and is estimated at Rs 83.46 lakhs - Rs 1.25 cr (approx).
The artwork is a unique example of the Husain's masterly synthesis of varying classical forms, brought together on one stage.
A strong group of works by Syed Haider Raza, including six from the Norwegian collector, Per Elias Rosenlund, a close friend of the artist, will also be part of the auction.

Other artists whose works would be auctioned include Prabhakar Barwe, and Mahadev Visvanath Dhurandhar, among others.
The sale will also feature nine important drawings from a UK based collection, and will include intimate modernist works from artists such as Akbar Padamsee, Francis Newton Souza, Husain and Krishen Khanna.