20 Indian classics to go under the hammer

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An early work of M.F. Hussain, that too a portrait dating back to the 1950s, is surely any art aficionado’s delight. Apart from Hussain, a rural folklore from Jamini Roy and a reflective Bikash Bhattacharjee can surely leave Indian art lovers asking for more. Working on that tangent, the Pundole Art Gallery, one of the earliest art galleries in India will be hosting an art auction with some of the greatest works from the collection of the National Centre for Performing Art (NCPA) on April 20.

A collection of 20 artworks, the list comprises some of the most illustrious and legendary names in the Indian art fraternity. From Roy to S.H. Raza, from Ara to Gaitonde, the collection is something every art lovers wait for.
Dadiba Pundole, director of Pundole Art Gallery says, “It is a historic collection and this is the first time that an institution like the NCPA has brought out their collection for sale.” He adds that this whole idea came about when NCPA cited the need for raising funds. “An auction would be the best and most transparent way to bring it to the public,” Pundole says.
Although the paintings are estimated anywhere between `3 lakhs to `180 lakhs, Robin Dean, consultant to the Pundole Art Gallery says, “It allows the public to own an important piece of artwork that has a story to tell at a reasonable price, considering the value of these works otherwise. It would be quite a rare opportunity for the art lovers.”
The auction has published a detailed catalogue that will give a detailed description of the works and the story behind it. “The research has been extensive and we gathered information by not only talking to the artists, but also their contemporaries and reading up a lot on the works through art journals and magazines, especially the Lalit Kala Academy magazine, which was one of the more important ones during those days,” says Mallika Advani, the auctioneer.
The artwork for the collection is one by Dr Homi Bhabha, the pioneer nuclear physicist, which reveals a rare side of the great scientist. “It’s a 1945 canvas. Dr Bhabha was an avid painter and it shows in his works,” says Pundole.
There is a portrait by Hussain, which dates back to 1958. Pundole shares an interesting story, which had Hussain painting nearly 100 portraits in a year’s span. “In 1957 Hussain painted a portrait of the dancer Indrani Rehman, which an art critic in those days didn’t appreciate. Hussain took it upon himself to paint as many portraits as he could in the next one year, and this is when Hussain was offering his services to people to practice the art of painting portraits,” says Pundole. What’s even more interesting is that a year later, the critic took back his words.
Pundole says that each of these works has something unique about them and hence picking a favourite would be very difficult. There is an unusual Bikash painting, which has two headless figures, one of a corrupt policeman, and the other of a criminal walking down alongside a bylane.
Roy, known for his folk art and depiction of development of India also has two interesting works in this list. “One is a landscape in summery colours like yellow with a lot of vibrancy, while the other is of a village which has earthy tones and melancholic hues. They are two extremely different images, giving a contrasting effect,” says Pundole. There are also artworks by Krishen Khanna, N.S. Bendre and V.S. Gaitonde.
He adds that since it is difficult for institutions to maintain these paintings, they are now foraying into auctioning their artworks. “A lot of effort goes into the maintenance of these paintings which is why the institutions prefer auctioning their works,” says Pundole. Although the list of the 20 paintings going to be auctioned comprise some of the biggest names in Indian art scene, Pundole feels that there’s room for everyone in an auction, even if at the end of the day, the classics get an edge over the others. “I’ve always believed that an artist is few steps ahead of his viewers and considering the resistance to change, it takes time for any artist to be accepted. Art always reflects the state of the society and it doesn’t have to be logical all the time. Collecting art is more about believing in it rather than understanding it. Certain things are just the way they are,” concludes Pundole.