Nine artists broke auction records at Sotheby’s modern and contemporary South Asian sale in New York on March 17th. The sale totaled $16.8 million, more than tripling its low estimate of $4.9 million (all prices include fees).
“Breaking nine world records for multiple artists from across South Asia, the auction once again showcased the strength and depth of this category,” said Manjari Sihare Sutin, Sotheby’s specialist and co-worldwide head of modern and contemporary South Asian art. “Sotheby’s is proud to be building and expanding the conversation beyond what the world considers blue-chip modern Indian art.”
The headline sale was Indian artist Jagdish Swaminathan’s triptych Homage to Solzhenitsyn (1973), which sold for $4.68 million, far exceeding its estimate of $1 million–$2 million. The artist’s previous auction record was set in December 2024 at Bonhams for Untitled (1991), which sold for $987,600.
The second most expensive lot was Indian painter Jehangir Sabavala’s The Journey of the Magi (1963), which sold for $2.73 million after six bidders competed for the painting for 10 minutes. The painting soared past its $600,000–$1.2 million estimate. Sabavala’s previous auction record was set at Christie’s in September 2021 when Embarkation (1965) sold for $1.59 million.
Works by the Indian modernist painter Francis Newton Souza also saw significant demand throughout the evening. The artist’s Oriental City (1958) sold for $1.17 million, more than doubling its $550,000 high estimate. Meanwhile, Souza’s Still Life With Flowers (1962) sold for $50,800, against a $25,000–$35,000 estimate, and Untitled (n.d.) sold for $8,255, against a $1,500–$2,500 estimate.
Other than the paintings by Swaminathan and Sabavala, the additional seven auction records broken during the sale were as follows:
- Ganesh Pyne’s Untitled (1970) sold for $787,400 against a$200,000–$300,000 estimate. The previous record auction price was for Winter Morning (1971), which sold at Asta Guru Auction House in 2023 for $719,940.
- Madhvi Parekh’s Flower Seller (1975) sold for $444,500, soaring past its $20,000–$30,000 estimate. The artist’s previous auction record was set at Saffronart Mumbai in 2023 when Untitled (2017) sold for $40,670.
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