One of Tyeb Mehta’s most famous works 'Durga Mahisasura Mardini' will lead the sale—at the london-based Sotheby’s auction, ‘Boundless: Mumbai’ scheduled in Mumbai for December, 2018.
The auction will be held at the The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai.
The ‘Boundless: Mumbai’ auction will include not only important works by South Asia’s greatest artists, but also artworks by western artists inspired and influenced by the art, culture, geography and people of South Asia.
An exciting array of art sourced from collections across the sub-Continent and globally by a worldwide team of specialists, ‘Boundless: Mumbai’ will present an opportunity for young and seasoned collectors to acquire museum-quality works from a variety of categories such as Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, Photography, Prints, and Design.
Tyeb Mehta's Durga is a seminal painting has remained in a private collection since 1993. It will be up for sale for the first time later this year. It is among the most valuable works of modern South Asian art ever to be offered at auction.
Tyeb Mehta was one of the finest painters—and was part of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which included F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F. Hussain. Two out of the three highest prices for the artist have been set at auction within the last year, attesting to the strength of Tyeb Mehta’s market. His current auction record stands at $3.6 million. “One of the most important artists in the country and a leading figure in the history of Indian modernism, Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Durga Mahisasura Mardini’ is possibly the most important work in the artist’s oeuvre. A symbol of victory of good over evil, this painting celebrates the spirit of India. It is one of most provocative portrayals of goddess Durga defeating the mythical buffalo demon, Mahisasura,” Yamini Mehta, International Head of Indian & South Asian Art at Sotheby’s, said,
According to Mehta, this painting celebrates hope and renewal instilled in Indian mythology and reconnects with Indian values. The oblique allusion to the colours of the Indian flag makes it a brilliant and powerful ode to the spirit of the country. “The painting is a prelude to the artist’s iconic ‘Celebrations’ and ‘Mahisasura’ series, making it amongst the artist’s most significant and rarest works,” he said.