London, Celebrated Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar’s self-portrait as a dentist is among the highlights of Sotheby’s latest showcase of rare South Asian arts for its upcoming auction in London next week.
Khakhar’s ‘Dentist’, described by the auction house as “characteristically humorous”, is currently on display before its auction debut on Thursday as part of the ‘Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art’ sale, with an estimated price range of GBP 1-4 million. A work entitled ‘Terra Amata’ by another famous Indian painter Sayed Haider Raza, which last appeared at auction over 20 years ago, will also go under the hammer with an estimated guide price of GBP 2-4 million.
“This season we are delighted to bring to the market fresh and exciting works by South Asia’s leading modern masters,” said Ishrat Kanga, Head of Sotheby’s London Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art.
“The sale features a wide representation of countries, mediums and subjects that showcases the creativity and diversity of the region’s artists, including works by Sayed Haider Raza, Bhupen Khakhar, Francis Newton Souza, Zainul Abedin, George Keyt and Ganesh Pyne,” she said.
‘Dentist’ joins rank with Khakhar’s other celebrated trades and is one of a number of later works which echo the seminal subject of the 1970s series, such as ‘Sweet Vendor’ and ‘Tailor Shop’ .
In the striking artwork, Khakhar is the “eponymous dentist shown pulling the teeth of his beloved Vallabh Bhai”. According to the auction notes, contrary to other works which depict the couple in tender embrace, the painter places them in a clinical setting with ‘Dentist’. The painting also references the sensual nature of his work from the 1980s onwards.
Meanwhile, Raza’s ‘Terra Amata’ is Italian for ‘Beloved Land’ and is considered one of the artist’s most experimental and important works. Monumental in size and unique in subject, the painting captures the energy of the natural world in a masterful prism of line and colour. Formerly in the private collection of Chester and Davida Herwitz, two of the most influential collectors of Indian modern art, the acrylic on canvas painting was offered to the couple directly from the artist as a painting of great significance.
Further works formerly in the Herwitz collection are also on showcase, including Pyne’s Untitled work with an estimated price range of GBP 300,000-600,000 and a vivid Untitled canvas by Manjit Bawa, estimated to fetch between GBP 100,000-300,000.
The auction next week brings together paintings, sculptures, ceramics and works on paper from across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, currently on display at Sotheby’s galleries in London.
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