Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Matisse, Renoir et al. at auction in India

It is not a commonplace event to have works by some of the world’s greatest artists offered in India in INR. Art by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol and Bernard Buffet to name a few, are on offer at AstaGuru’s International Iconic Masterpieces & Editions auction online on July 20-21.

In a scenario when the country does not get to see exhibitions of works by top western masters and even top western contemporary artists, an auction such as this is a great opportunity to get up and close with art by some of the world’s best known artists ever. Featuring 30 lots, the auction is offering works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Joan Miro, Henri Matisse, Bernard Buffet, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Fernando Botero, Jeff Koons, David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Anthony James, and Kaws. The inclusion of the key names from contemporary modern art makes the selection impressively current.

Sneha Gautam, senior vice president, Client Relations, AstaGuru, said: “The exquisite collection presents a captivating glimpse into the evolution of modern art, spanning from the influential movements of the early 20th century to the present times.”

Top Works at AstaGuru’s Auction

The top lot on offer is a 1969 pencil drawing on paper by the Spanish master Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Nu Couche (Reclining Nude) which is estimated between Rs 3.94 crore and Rs 4.98 crore. A late career work, it belongs to the final period of the great master’s career, when he became more daring and produced prolifically across a range of mediums. Even in the simple drawing, the quintessential Picasso signature is discernible to the most lay admirer of art.

There are two works in the second most expensive slot. These are works by the Surrealist great and Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-89) and Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Dali’s bronze sculpture from 1980, Horse Saddled With Time, measuring 70.1 x 18.9 x 54.3 in. is estimated at Rs 3.68 crore – Rs 4.98 crore. Chagall’s signature dreamscape titled Profile, made in the year 1959, is estimated at the same price point as Dali’s aforementioned work.

Dali is a name known to the most art-challenged among us. Yet, for those needing a recap, he was perhaps one of the two best known global artists of the twentieth century (the other being Picasso). The term surrealism is almost synonymous with his art, as he came to be known for his striking and bizarre images. That element of bizarre is evident in the work in the upcoming auction as well, where a glistening bronze horse carries the weight of time — depicted through a melting clock, a signature Dali trope — on its back.

Though Chagall may not be as well-known to the layman (not lay art admirers) as Picasso and Dali, the Russian-French artist had attained greatness in his lifetime for his dreamy paintings in bright reds, purples, greens, blues and yellows. His work pre-dated surrealism and was the earliest expressions of the human mind’s deepest realities in modern art.

An Andy Warhol silkscreen ink on synthetic fabric work from 1980, titled Portrait Of Joseph Beuys is next in queue of the most expensive works. This work by Warhol (1928-1987), the American artist who went on to be the leading figure of Pop Art movement globally, is a multiple photographic portrait of the German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986). It is estimated at Rs 1.41 crore – Rs 1.60 crore. The two artists had met at an art opening in Germany in 1979 and in that brief meeting Warhol had taken a picture of Beuys, which he went on to develop into artworks such as this one. Rounding off the top five is another painting by Chagall, a gouache and ink on paper titled Double Profile. Made by the artist circa 1938-1939, it is estimated at Rs 82 lakh – Rs 92 lakh.

It would be beyond the scope of the present write-up to give a detailed analysis of every work by the masters on offer at the auction. These can be accessed at www.astaguru.com.

Contemporary Giants

It would not be an overstatement to label the three contemporary artists whose works are on offer at this auction as giants. These are the American artist Jeff Koons (born 1955), British artist Damien Hirst (born 1965), and American artist and designer professionally known as Kaws (the artist’s name is Brian Donnelly, born 1974).

Works by Koons are well-exposed in media for even non-art types to be able to spot them. Three of those sculptures in porcelain are on offer at AstaGuru auction. These are Balloon Rabbit Violet, Balloon Monkey Orange, and Balloon Dog Yellow. These look like inflatable versions of animals, only that they are not inflatable but made in solid materials. Koons embarked on creating these sculptures in the early 1990s in a celebration of inflatable characters, originally made in stainless steel and later re-imagined in porcelain. The first of these was Balloon Dog Blue, and the porcelain version of the original is on offer at the upcoming auction.

Hirst too is well-known globally for his path-breaking art that has often pushed the envelope beyond fantastical imaginings. Some of his works involved death as a central theme, in which he preserved dead animals in formaldehyde, often dissecting them. His works on offer at AstaGuru are less ghastly; Skull Spin Painting is as terrible as it gets, if you may, featuring a kaleidoscopic skull. A 2009 acrylic on paper work, it is estimated at Rs 7.37 lakh – Rs 9.96 lakh.

A word on this writer’s personal favourite, the Colombian artist Fernando Botero (born 1932). His signature works feature podgy human beings in various settings, their bulbous figures making them stand out in the vast universe of modern and contemporary art; this includes a roly-poly Monalisa that he painted in 1978. At AstaGuru auction, Botero’s work on offer is titled Couple, a pencil and watercolour drawing on paper, estimated between Rs 64.4 lakh and Rs 74.7 lakh.

(The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist. She blogs at www.archanakhareghose.com)