A 14-foot masterpiece by legendary Indian artist MF Husain has set a new auction record for modern Indian art. Untitled (Gram Yatra), a mural-sized painting from 1954 that vividly portrays India’s rural life, fetched an astonishing $13.8 million (around Rs 119 crore) at Christie’s New York on March 19. The sale nearly quadrupled its estimated value of $3.5 million, marking a milestone in South Asian modern art.
Previously, the highest-selling modern Indian artwork was Amrita Sher-Gil’s The Story Teller (1937), which sold for $7.4 million in Mumbai last year. In the broader category of South Asian art, Husain’s work now holds the second-highest auction price, surpassed only by a 12th-century black stone bodhisattva sculpture that sold for $24.6 million at Christie’s in 2017.
A rediscovered masterpiece
Originally acquired in 1954 by Norwegian surgeon and art collector Leon Elias Volodarsky while leading a WHO team in Delhi, Untitled (Gram Yatra) remained largely unseen for decades. In 1964, Volodarsky’s estate donated it to Oslo University Hospital, where it was displayed in a private corridor for nearly 70 years. Now known as 'The Volodarsky Husain', the painting was consigned for auction by the hospital, with proceeds earmarked for a medical training center.
The artwork attracted competitive bidding from five contenders before being sold to an undisclosed institution. However, journalist John Elliot speculated in his blog Riding the Elephant that Indian art collector and philanthropist Kiran Nadar may have acquired it for her renowned New Delhi museum, KNMA.
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A landmark moment in South Asian art
Nishad Avari, Christie’s head of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, expressed excitement over the historic sale.
“We are thrilled to have set a new benchmark for the work of Maqbool Fida Husain and the entire category. This is a landmark moment that continues the extraordinary upward trajectory of the South Asian art market,” Avari said in a statement.
Speaking about the significance of Untitled (Gram Yatra), Avari noted that it consists of 13 separate scenes depicting village life in India, created just five years after the country’s independence.
According to Christie’s, the painting is not only one of the largest but also one of the most important works from Husain’s early career. A note accompanying the artwork described it as a “cornerstone of his oeuvre,” highlighting how Husain used art to celebrate the vibrancy of a newly independent India.
Often referred to as the 'Picasso of India', MF Husain was a pioneer of modern Indian art. As a founding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group in the 1940s, he played a crucial role in shaping India’s modern art movement. His distinctive style blended elements of classical Indian art with Western expressionism, exploring themes of mythology, history, and everyday life in both rural and urban India.
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The record-breaking sale of Untitled (Gram Yatra) not only cements Husain’s legacy but also signals growing global recognition of modern Indian art.
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