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The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose Collection
Christie's New York
September 17, 2013
Sale No: 2723
Lot 24, "Where the mind is without fear," by Rabindranath Tagore, ink on paper, executed circa 1910, from The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Collection of Supratik Bose, Courtesy Christie's Images
Lot 171, "Landscape," by Bharti Kher, bindis on painted board; triptych, each executed in 2007; Photo Carter B. Horsley
By Michele
Leight
A delicate composition entitled "Where the Mind Is Without Fear" by India's beloved poet, artist and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and a monumental bindi "Landscape" by Bharti Kher, both illustrated at the top of this review, set the stage for a diverse selection of works of art at Christie's "South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art" and "The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose Collection" sales during Asia Week in New York. Other highlights of the sale included Syed Haider Raza's "Italian Village," painted in 1953, two beautiful canvases by Vasudeio Gaitonde's - "Untitled," circa 1973 in turquoise hues and vibrant "Untitled" circa 1960 - and two compelling oils by Francis Newton Souza, "Pieta," and "St. Sebastian." A luscious, unusual, landscape by MF Husain, "Wasteland," painted in 1963, featured heavily impastoed swathes of pigment reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh, illustrated in this review, as are most of the referenced works of art).
Detail, "Landscape," by Bharti Kher; Photo © Michele Leight
Left: Lot 180, "Untitled (St. Sebastian)," by Francis Newton Souza, circa 1955, oil on board, painted circa 1955; right: Lot 110, "Italian Village," by Syed Haider Raza, 1953, oil on board, 39 1/2 by 47 1/2 inches
Left: Lot 128, "Untitled," by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, 1973, oil on canvas, 60 by 39 1/4 inches; right: Lot 124, "Untitled," by Syed Haider Raza, 1985, acrylic on canvas, 39 1/2 by 39 1/2 inches; Photo Michele Leight
Detail of Lot 128, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde
Lot 129, "Rajasthani Women," by Maqbool Fida Husain, circa early 1960s, oil on canvas, 38 by 38 inches
Lot 157, "Wasteland," by Maqbool Fida Husain, 1963, oil on board, 48 by 24 inches; Photo Carter B. Horsley
Detail of Lot 157, "Wasteland," by Maqbool Fida Husain; Photo by Michele Leight
Lot 134, "Untitled (The Three Graces), by Sadequain, 1982, oil pastel scraped on hardboard 48 1/2 by 96 1/4 inches
A delicate composition entitled "Where the Mind Is Without Fear" by India's beloved poet, artist and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and a monumental bindi "Landscape" by Bharti Kher, both illustrated at the top of this review, set the stage for a diverse selection of works of art at Christie's "South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art" and "The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose Collection" sales during Asia Week in New York. Other highlights of the sale included Syed Haider Raza's "Italian Village," painted in 1953, two beautiful canvases by Vasudeio Gaitonde's - "Untitled," circa 1973 in turquoise hues and vibrant "Untitled" circa 1960 - and two compelling oils by Francis Newton Souza, "Pieta," and "St. Sebastian." A luscious, unusual, landscape by MF Husain, "Wasteland," painted in 1963, featured heavily impastoed swathes of pigment reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh, illustrated in this review, as are most of the referenced works of art).
Detail, "Landscape," by Bharti Kher; Photo © Michele Leight
Bharti
Kher's
constellation "bindi" tryptich is a wonderful piece, evoking oceans, or
tiny islands viewed from space, depending on what the viewer "reads"
into it, Christie's catalogue for this sale offers its
own take on
this organic piece:
"Bindis swirl together to form an extraordinarily texutred surface resembling satellite images of the sea. Kher's bindis, like schools of fish, move in sync throughout the vast ocean mimicking the constant flux and migration paterns of today's modern world. Fusing this sense of symbolism, history and metaphor with an understanding of the tradition of abstract art, Kher's raidant and colorful painting is a fascinating work of great beauty reflective of the changing world."
Lot 171, "Landscape," has an estimate of $300,000 to 500,000. It sold for $339,750.
"Bindis swirl together to form an extraordinarily texutred surface resembling satellite images of the sea. Kher's bindis, like schools of fish, move in sync throughout the vast ocean mimicking the constant flux and migration paterns of today's modern world. Fusing this sense of symbolism, history and metaphor with an understanding of the tradition of abstract art, Kher's raidant and colorful painting is a fascinating work of great beauty reflective of the changing world."
Lot 171, "Landscape," has an estimate of $300,000 to 500,000. It sold for $339,750.
Left: Lot 180, "Untitled (St. Sebastian)," by Francis Newton Souza, circa 1955, oil on board, painted circa 1955; right: Lot 110, "Italian Village," by Syed Haider Raza, 1953, oil on board, 39 1/2 by 47 1/2 inches
"Syed
Haider Raza, Francis Newton Souza and Akbar Padamsee had a show at
Galerie Raymond Creuze in Paris in 1953. For all three this was a
crucial and very fomative time. Immersed in the international
avant-garde it was their chance to bring their own influences from
India to the West but more importantly to determine the direction of
Indian Modern Painting. However, this period was not without its
challenges especially for the artists who were attempting to establish
their identity in the larger art scene. Souza recollects, 'Indian arsts
Ram Kumar, Raza, Akbar Padamsee and Laxman Pai were also in Paris at
that time. All of us hoped for a cookie from the 'School of Paris,' and
a slice of the cake of 'Modern Art,' but the cookie had
crumbled and the cake was devoured by then. We did not think we were
uninvited guests because those who partook of the 'School of Paris' and
baked the 'Modern Art' cake came from different nationalities...And
'Modern Ar itself was an amalgam of Japanese, African, Persian and
other influences. So what the hell, we said, we'll tuck in as well. But
when Raza, Padamsee and I had our first group show, the art dealer put
Trois Hindou peintres on the invitation card. Raza, who was the only
one between us who understood French, told the dealer that none of us
was really Hindu. So the word was changed to Indian. But when
the cards were mailed, the American Embassy telephoned the gallery and
angrily asked 'How the hell did these Indians get out of the
Reservations?' It is a fact upon my word. Raza and Padamsee are
witnesses. So much for our hopes of getting into the 'Modern Art
Scene.'" (F.N. Souza, 'What Is Modern or Contemporary or Tribal or
Provincial about our Art?' The
Times of India, 31 October, 1982, sections
1-11, Christie's catalogue for this sale)
Lot
180, "Untitled, (St. Sebastian)," by FN Souza sold for $255,750
(estimate $220,000 to $280,000) Lot 110, "Italian
Village,"
by Syed
Haider Raza sold for $723,750,
the top selling lot of the sale (estimate $550,000 to
$750,000). Another work by FN Souza, Lot 131, "Pieta," sold for $327,750 (
estimate $250,000 to $350,000), reflecting strong prices for India's
most coveted modern artists.
Left: Lot 128, "Untitled," by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, 1973, oil on canvas, 60 by 39 1/4 inches; right: Lot 124, "Untitled," by Syed Haider Raza, 1985, acrylic on canvas, 39 1/2 by 39 1/2 inches; Photo Michele Leight
Detail of Lot 128, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde
The
text for Lot 128, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde, in Christie's
catalogue for
this sale, includes the following:
"The
artist refers to his work as [...] a play of light and color [...]
Every painting has a seed which germinates in the next painting. A
painting is not limited to one canvas, I go on adding an element and
that's how it evolves [...] There is a kind of metamorphosis in every
canvas and the metamorphosis never ends." (M. Menezes, "The Meditative
Brushstroke" Art India, vol. 3, issue 3, July - September 1998, p. 69)
Lot 128, "Untitled," By Gaitonde sold for $507,750 (with an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000).
Lot 126, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde, painted in 1960, oil on canvas, 30 1/2 by 38 1/8 inches
Lot 170, "Untitled (Landscape)," by Syed Haider Raza, 1962, oil on board, 37 3/4 by 80 3/4 inches
Lot 170, "Untitled (Landscape)," by Syed Haider Raza, a colorful oil on board painted in 1962 sold for $387,750 (estimate $300,000 to $500,000), and Lot 127, "Jour Liesse," sold for $267,750 (estimate $200,000 to $300,000).
Lot 128, "Untitled," By Gaitonde sold for $507,750 (with an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000).
Lot 126, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde, painted in 1960, oil on canvas, 30 1/2 by 38 1/8 inches
Lot
126, "Untitled," by Vasudeio Gaitonde, illustrated above, was painted
in 1960. It is a beautiful, optimistic, saturated oil on canvas that
evokes the sights, sounds and colors of India. It sold for $315,750,
well past its pre-sale estimate of $180,000 to $250,000.
Lot 170, "Untitled (Landscape)," by Syed Haider Raza, 1962, oil on board, 37 3/4 by 80 3/4 inches
Lot 170, "Untitled (Landscape)," by Syed Haider Raza, a colorful oil on board painted in 1962 sold for $387,750 (estimate $300,000 to $500,000), and Lot 127, "Jour Liesse," sold for $267,750 (estimate $200,000 to $300,000).
Lot 129, "Rajasthani Women," by Maqbool Fida Husain, circa early 1960s, oil on canvas, 38 by 38 inches
Unlike
Gaitonde, who painted sparingly, meticlously, it is mind-blowing how
prolific MF Husain was, and how sophistcated his compositions could be,
evidenced by the two stunning paintings illustrated here. Lot
129, "Rajasthani Women," and Lot 157, "Wasteland" were both
painted in the 1960s, one in muted tones, the other is full-bore yellow
and earth tones that captures India's extraordinary light and
landscape. It is unusual to see a landscape by Husain without figures -
of women - or horses. Lot 129 has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $50,000.
Lot 157, "Wasteland," by Maqbool Fida Husain, 1963, oil on board, 48 by 24 inches; Photo Carter B. Horsley
Detail of Lot 157, "Wasteland," by Maqbool Fida Husain; Photo by Michele Leight
In a
detail from "Wasteland," illustrated above, the
rigorously impastoed surface evokes Van Gogh ,
especially
his fields of sunflowers:
"In this unique abstract painting, Husain combines canvas and wood panel as a substrate reflecting the dry and harsh texture of the desert. ' These rare abstract experiments by Husain were in part an answer to his then citics who were prepared to consign him to history for not keeping up with the avant-garde movements of the time. In spirit, they are closest to the works of S. H. Raza, who was attempting to capture in abstraction his childhood memories of the central Indian plains. While Raza continued to become (and remain) an abstract painter, Husain soon reverted to his interest in the human figure [A. Jhaveri and R. Dean, M.F.Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s - 70s, London, 2006, unpaginated)
Lot 157, "Wasteland," has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. It sold for $147,750.
"In this unique abstract painting, Husain combines canvas and wood panel as a substrate reflecting the dry and harsh texture of the desert. ' These rare abstract experiments by Husain were in part an answer to his then citics who were prepared to consign him to history for not keeping up with the avant-garde movements of the time. In spirit, they are closest to the works of S. H. Raza, who was attempting to capture in abstraction his childhood memories of the central Indian plains. While Raza continued to become (and remain) an abstract painter, Husain soon reverted to his interest in the human figure [A. Jhaveri and R. Dean, M.F.Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s - 70s, London, 2006, unpaginated)
Lot 157, "Wasteland," has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. It sold for $147,750.
Lot 134, "Untitled (The Three Graces), by Sadequain, 1982, oil pastel scraped on hardboard 48 1/2 by 96 1/4 inches
"One
of Pakistan's most celebrated artists, Sadequain came from a family of
calligraphers. Describing himself primarily as a figurative painter who
infused his works with allegorical significance, Sadequain was
considered the epitome of the Romantic bohemian. Well versed in the
Indo-Persian literature of Ghalib, Faiz and Iqbal along with the
syncretic histories of Hellenistic Greece, Rome and Pakistan the arist
often included mythology and poetry in his paintings." (Christie's
catalogue for this sale)
The heavily cross-hatched surface is as compelling as the composition. The three progagonists bearing food and drink may have been inspired from exotic, Pre-Raphaelite maidens, or Greek goddesses, or perhaps those wonderful, generic, mythological heroines that are part of every culture:
"In this painting, Sadequain utilizes an idiosyncratic version of the Muslim tughra or calligraphic signature, together with his interpretation of the European avant-garde art. Rendered in his distinc narrative style, the painting refers to the greek goddeses of beauty, mirth and elegance." (Christie's catalogue for this sale)
Lot 134 has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,500.
Front:
Lot 172, "Dubai to Mumbai (Vehicle for Seven Seas)," by
Subodh Gupta, 2003, cast aluminium and bronze, 35 5/8 by 35 3/8 inchesThe heavily cross-hatched surface is as compelling as the composition. The three progagonists bearing food and drink may have been inspired from exotic, Pre-Raphaelite maidens, or Greek goddesses, or perhaps those wonderful, generic, mythological heroines that are part of every culture:
"In this painting, Sadequain utilizes an idiosyncratic version of the Muslim tughra or calligraphic signature, together with his interpretation of the European avant-garde art. Rendered in his distinc narrative style, the painting refers to the greek goddeses of beauty, mirth and elegance." (Christie's catalogue for this sale)
Lot 134 has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,500.
Lot 172, Dubai to Mumbai
(Vehicle for Seven Seas)," by Subodh Gupta, illustrated above, captures
the necessity and the pathos of people forced to leave their
homes in search of
work. The migrant worker in India is often identified by luggage like
this, but each nation has its migrant workers, and their distinctive
luggage. Airports, train stations, docks and borders are the common
denominator in their mass migrations. Subodh Gupta was born and raised
in Bihar, a state with a disproportionate number of migrant workers,
because of poverty and therefore a shortage of jobs:
"Consisting of a series of aluminium and bronze cast replicas of airport trolleys and the kind of luggage Indian migrant workers bring back to India, symbolizing the materialistic fruit of their labor. From an early age, he (Subodh Gupta) witnessed the quiet tragedy of the migrant worker's journey to and from their homeland in search of prosperity. ' It is not the train, it is not the ship that it our enemy, but rather the money that compels our husbands to migrate to other lands.'" (Lament from the Bihari folk musical Bidsia, The Migrant, as cited in Subodh Gupta: Gandhi's Three Monkeys, exhibition catalogue, New York, 2008, p. 101" (Christies catalogue for this sale)
Lot 172 has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,500.
"Consisting of a series of aluminium and bronze cast replicas of airport trolleys and the kind of luggage Indian migrant workers bring back to India, symbolizing the materialistic fruit of their labor. From an early age, he (Subodh Gupta) witnessed the quiet tragedy of the migrant worker's journey to and from their homeland in search of prosperity. ' It is not the train, it is not the ship that it our enemy, but rather the money that compels our husbands to migrate to other lands.'" (Lament from the Bihari folk musical Bidsia, The Migrant, as cited in Subodh Gupta: Gandhi's Three Monkeys, exhibition catalogue, New York, 2008, p. 101" (Christies catalogue for this sale)
Lot 172 has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,500.
South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art Achieved $5,096,125.
Deepanjana Klein, Head of Sale, South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art, New York commented: “The South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale realized solid results for Progressive Artists’ Group masters such as Syed Haider Raza and Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, as well as the contemporary artist Bharti Kher. The market also recognized Sri Lanka’s most celebrated 20th century artist George Keyt, alongside fellow ’43 Group artists Ivan Peries and George Claessen, whose painting of Le Sourie achieved a world auction record of $27,500. A world auction record was also set for Mohammad Kibria’s Untitled.”
"The
Art of Nandalal
Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose
Collection"
Lot 1, Bull Fighter," by Nandalal Bose, signed in Bengali and bearing the personal seal of the artist; further bearing Visvabharati Kalabhavan and artist labels, 'Original Painting of Nandalal Bose Santiniketan, Birbhum West Bengal, India, 1937 Bull Fighter' (on the reverse), tempera on paper, 25 by 23 1/2 inches; executed in 1937; Commissioned by Mohandas K. Gandhi for the Indian National Congress Party meeting 1938, Haripura
Lot 1, Bull Fighter," by Nandalal Bose, signed in Bengali and bearing the personal seal of the artist; further bearing Visvabharati Kalabhavan and artist labels, 'Original Painting of Nandalal Bose Santiniketan, Birbhum West Bengal, India, 1937 Bull Fighter' (on the reverse), tempera on paper, 25 by 23 1/2 inches; executed in 1937; Commissioned by Mohandas K. Gandhi for the Indian National Congress Party meeting 1938, Haripura
Christies
catalogue for the
sale, "The Art of Nandalal
Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose
Collection" includes a
wonderful photograph (that can be viewed in its e catalogue online) of
Rabindranath Tagore with the
painter Nandalal Bose and other art students at Santineketan,the art
school founded by Tagore in Bengal,
and an essay "Immortal, Without Fear" and interview with Nobel
Laureate Amartya Sen. Excerpts are included below. Illustrated above is
Lot 1, "Bull Fighter," by Nandalal Bose, commissioned by Mohandas
Gandhi for the Indian National Congress Pary meeting in Haripura in
1938, with as estimate of $ 30,000 to $50,000. It sold for $147,750, well above
its high estimate:
P
"When
Indian economist Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1998, he
chose lines from a poem by the beloved Rabindranath Tagore to open his
dinner speech. He wasn't the first to have done so. Fifeen years
earlier, the Indian physicist, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, quoted the
same poem, perhaps best known in Modern In
Where
the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls […]
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
"For Sen, a professor of economics and philosophy at Harvard University, citing Tagore’s poem invoked a Nobel tradition that began with Tagore himself, the first non-European to win the prize. But it was also uniquely appropriate to his personal history. A friend of his mother’s, Tagore gave Sen his first name and founded the school where Sen spent his most formative years."
"Tagore died when Sen was a young child, but, as he notes below, he was fortunate to have other great teachers along the way, formally and informally — like the esteemed painter, Nandalal Bose, who was a neighbor and close friend of Sen’s family. Amid the divisive discourse driving much of Indian politics today, he notes below, the lessons of open-mindedness and global inclusivity taught by educators like Tagore and Bose are as instructive today as they were in his and his nation’s youth. Christie’s caught up with Sen by phone, who shared his thoughts about their legacy."
Lot 16, "Untitled (Caitanya and Haridas)," by Nandalal Bose, watercolor on paper, 9 3/4 by 6 3/4 inches, circa 1940s
Lot 33, "Unitled (Siva-Simantini)," by Abindranath Tagore, watercolor and wash on card, excuted circa 1920s
You’ve written that Patha Bhavana, the school founded by Rabindranath Tagore, was where your educational attitudes were formed. In what sense?
Well,
I think [it was] the basic idea behind the school — of having
international knowledge and a global outlook be present in a big way,
without undermining the valuable elements in national and local
culture, civilization and intellectual traditions. And also the focus
on reasoning, the focus on freedom, are important parts of the
commitment that Tagore had, which I think I benefitted from."
(Christies catalogue for this sale)
Record
prices were achived for Abanindranath Tagore's (Lot 33),
"Untitled (Siva-Simantini), illustrated above, a water color wash
painted on card which
sold for $555,750
(estimate $40,000 to $60,000), a world auction record for th artist,
and
Lot 24, Rabindranath Tagore's "Where the Mind Is Without Fear," an ink
on
paper, which sold for
$363,750
(estimate $100,000 to $150,000),
illustrated at the top of this review.
"The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose Collection" achieved $2,927,000.
Hugo Weihe, International Director of Asian Art and International Specialist Head, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art Department, New York said:
"The sale of The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore, and Rabindranath Tagore marked an incredible chapter for Indian modernism. We were gratified by the global attention this collection garnered, which resulted in a sell-through rate of 99% by value, with the remaining three lots selling immediately after the sale. We will always be deeply honored to have been entrusted by Supratik Bose to handle this extraordinary collection."
Supratik Bose said: "Well over four decades ago when I brought the collection from India very few in America knew about the art of Nandalal Bose, Abindranath Tagore, and Rabindranath Tagore. I am very pleased that after today's auction at Christie's they are far better known internationally."
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"The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore: The Supratik Bose Collection" achieved $2,927,000.
Hugo Weihe, International Director of Asian Art and International Specialist Head, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art Department, New York said:
"The sale of The Art of Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore, and Rabindranath Tagore marked an incredible chapter for Indian modernism. We were gratified by the global attention this collection garnered, which resulted in a sell-through rate of 99% by value, with the remaining three lots selling immediately after the sale. We will always be deeply honored to have been entrusted by Supratik Bose to handle this extraordinary collection."
Supratik Bose said: "Well over four decades ago when I brought the collection from India very few in America knew about the art of Nandalal Bose, Abindranath Tagore, and Rabindranath Tagore. I am very pleased that after today's auction at Christie's they are far better known internationally."