Leading international auction house Sotheby’s will conduct its inaugural art auction in India in December.
The sale will be held at the The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai and will be led by Durga , a seminal painting by Tyeb Mehta.
The auction house had opened its office in Mumbai in September 2016. Jan Prasens, Sotheby’s Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, Russia and India: “In recent years, we have witnessed both the ever-growing presence of Indian collectors in Sotheby’s global auctions, and the development of an increasingly vibrant domestic Indian art market. Given these promising signs, and the projected economic growth for India in the future, it is the right time for Sotheby’s to further expand the services we offer our clients in the region, and to bring our auctions directly to the doorstep of the many collectors who live there.”
The sale ‘Boundless: Mumbai’ will include not only important works by South Asia’s greatest artists, but also artworks by western artists inspired and influenced by the art, culture, geography and people of South Asia.
One of Tyeb Mehta’s most important works, Durga Mahisasura Mardini, has been confirmed to lead the sale. This seminal painting was commissioned directly from the artist in 1993 and has remained in a private collection since, appearing on the market for the first time later this year.
Two out of the three highest prices for the artist have been set at auction within last year, attesting to the strength of Tyeb Mehta’s market. His current auction record stands at $3.6 million.
Gaurav Bhatia, Managing Director, Sotheby’s India, said: “In the past five years, the number of Indians across all Sotheby’s global sales has almost doubled. Indian clients have bought over $250 million of art over this period."
Further details about the works offered in ‘Boundless: Mumbai’ will be announced later this year. Ahead of the sale, highlights from the auction will be exhibited internationally and in India.