Sculptural surprises at ‘Stroke and Structure’ auction of modern Indian art

While the country deals with unprecedented heat all over and thermometers record hitherto unheard-of temperatures, the art world is bracing up to heat up the proceedings at another frontier. After a brief lull post big-ticket auctions in March, the circuit is getting warmed up again with some superlative works on offer at upcoming auctions.

AstaGuru will sign off the month of June with two impressive auctions at www.astaguru.com: ‘Stroke and Structure: Modern Indian Art’ on June 20-21 and ‘Visionaries: Contemporary Indian Art’ on June 23-24. In this column this week, let us spend time browsing through the first auction, featuring modern masters of India art.

Sculpture Surprise

The auction, ‘Stroke and Structure: Modern Indian Art’, as expected, has a rich line-up of legendary names some of whose iconic works are on offer. The most expensive of these is an Untitled oil on canvas from 1965 by MF Husain (1913-2011), featuring four women in conversation, in his signature strokes. It hails from one of the artist’s most seminal periods and is estimated at Rs 2.5 crore - Rs 3.5 crore ($304,878 - $426,829).

Another work that will grab eyeballs is an Untitled pencil on paper drawing by National Treasure artist Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941). A double-sided work, it is estimated at Rs 10 lakh - Rs 15 lakh ($12,195 - $18,293).

But what makes this auction stand out is the surprise element associated with all the big names; there are captivating sculptures by artists who are primarily known as painters.

For instance, one of Krishen Khanna’s most well-known series, Bandwallahs, appears in the form of a sculptural rendition in bronze. This sculptural relief, titled Bandwallah, features three bandwallahs in blue coats and golden epaulets and playing golden trumpets. Measuring 35.4 x 47 x 0.5 in. (approx. 3 x 4 ft), it is estimated at Rs 20 lakh - Rs 30 lakh ($24,390 - $36,585).

Khanna’s Bandwallah series was born when in the 1970s, he encountered a wedding procession led by bandwallahs blocking the traffic. He has described them as relics of the British colonial era, especially in reference to their gaudy attire, who now play Indian film tunes at weddings of which they are an indispensable part. Another work on the theme by Khanna (b. 1925) in this auction is the Untitled acrylic and charcoal work on canvas, featuring a single bandwallah, estimated at Rs 25 lakh - Rs 35 lakh ($30,488 - $42,683). But the most striking is the three-dimensional sculpture, Untitled (Bandwallah), made in acrylic on fiberglass, featuring the musician in colonial white, red and blue attire. Measuring 59 x 26 x 28 in., it stands tall at approx. 5 ft and is estimated at Rs 7 lakh - Rs 9 lakh ($8,537 - $10,976). Yet another bandwallah in bronze by Khanna, featuring a man playing a drum in slate grey patina, is estimated at Rs 5 lakh - Rs 7 lakh ($6,098 - $8,537).

There’s yet another bronze sculpture by Khanna at the auction. It’s an Untitled rendition of ‘I am the Bread of Life’ story of Jesus, featuring his bust covered in a blue cloth, his eyes shut and breaking bread. This work is estimated at Rs 10 lakh - Rs 15 lakh (approx. $12,195 - $18,293).

A Telangana man in signature Thota Vaikuntam (b. 1942) stylization from his famous paintings too appears as a small bronze, less than a foot high, estimated at Rs 6 lakh - Rs 8 lakh ($7,317 - $9,756). Another is his bronze sculptural relief, featuring a signature Telangana couple, Untitled, measuring 11.5 x 6.2 x 1.5 in. and estimated at Rs 5 lakh - Rs 7 lakh ($6,098 - $8,537).

A bronze sculpture by Ram Kumar (1924-2018), featuring a female bust reminiscent of the figures that appeared in his canvases before his breakthrough Banaras series, is a pleasant departure from the artist’s most well-known paintings. This Untitled bust is estimated at Rs 10 lakh - Rs 15 lakh ($12,195 - $18,293) and stands a little over one-foot high. Besides, there are other signature abstract paintings by the artist at the auction.

A set of four small sculptures, each about a foot high and showing ‘Babu and Bibi’ in different settings makes a charming lot by Lalu Prasad Shaw (b. 1937). This set is estimated at Rs 2 lakh - Rs 3 lakh ($2,439 - $3,659).

Yet another endearing sculpture is Couple, a bronze work featuring a man and a woman in Indian attire, seated and engrossed in conversation, by Jogen Chowdhury (b. 1939). Measuring a foot high (12 x 12 x 9 in.), it is estimated at Rs 15 lakh - Rs 20 lakh ($18,293 - $24,390). It is based on his masterful paper work executed in 1982, a period of great significance in the artist’s career as he was working as the curator of the gallery at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi at that time. Another of his bronze works on offer is a sculptural relief, Untitled, featuring a bird and a two-handled jug in his signature stylization. It is estimated at Rs 6 lakh - Rs 8 lakh ($7,317 - $9,756).

Two interesting sculptural works by K Laxma Goud (b. 1940) — sculptures are not a rarity in his repertoire — add to the colour of the auction’s lineup. One is Untitled (Dog), made of bamboo and terracotta, measuring about a foot across and high. It is estimated at Rs 2 lakh - Rs 3 lakh ($2,439 - $3659). Another two-dimensional work by Goud is acrylic painting on wood, Untitled, featuring a painted story on wood. It is estimated at Rs 10 lakh - Rs 15 lakh ($12,195 - $18,293).

Besides, there are three-dimensional works by renowned sculptors such as Himmat Shah, Sankho Chaudhuri, KS Radhakrishnan, Amar Nath Sehgal, and Prodosh Dasgupta.

Spotlight on the Unknowns

One must give a shout out to the team that has put together this auction for bringing spotlight on hitherto unknown or relatively unknown masters, such as Sital Chandra Bandyopadhyay (1878-1967), John Fernandes (1951-2007), C. D. Mistry (1933-2023), Shail Choyal (b. 1945), Bharti Prajapati (b. 1962), Sudhangsu Bandyopadhyay (b. 1949), Madhav Satwalekar (1915-2006), Kishor Gundigara (b. 1946), Manoj Dutta (b. 1956), Naina Dalal (b. 1935), Aziz (b. 1946), Prafulla Dahanukar (1934-2014), Gurcharan Singh (b. 1949), P. N. Choyal (1924-2012), Om Prakash Sharma (b. 1932), and Vijay Kumar Somanchi (b. 1949) to name a few. While the list looks exhaustive, it is a revelation on how much excellent art is still unknow. If the appearance of works by deserving yet unknown masters at auctions is coupled with a dedicated exhibition, a survey, or a retrospective, the market for their works may see a justified turnaround.

With more than 200 lots on offer, a detailed look at even the most interesting ones is beyond the scope of this write-up and I suggest a leisurely browse through the auction house’s website to soak up some fine strands of Indian art.

(The writer is a senior journalist, columnist, and a commentator on art, books, market, society, and more)