An upcoming online sale of Rare works by eminent Indian modernists

M.F. Husain, Three Dynasties, 2008-2011. Courtesy of Usha Mittal, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Exceptional pieces by eminent Indian modernists like M F Husain, Ram Kumar, and F N Souza will soon be put off at AstaGuru's forthcoming online sale on June 25-26, according to a statement from the auction house.

According to the statement, over half of the 120 works in the "Collector Choice - A Curated Presentation of Rare Modern Indian Works" will have auction debuts.

Ivory Eyes (1976), enamel on canvas piece by Prabhakar Barwe that also serves as the auction catalogue's cover piece, is one of the sale's highlights.

Barwe's paintings, which are valued at ₹20–30 lakh, are the result of a perfect combination of form, space, and mystery, resulting in a unique pictorial association.

Barwe was a symbolist abstractionist from the JJ School of Art, and his paintings depict a journey he went in quest of pictorial purity and balance, according to the auction house.

Two of M F Husain's works will be included in the sale as well.

The first is an untitled huge acrylic on paper painting from 1990 that was part of his "Calcutta series," which pays homage to one of his favourite cities, Kolkata, and illustrates his love and affinity with it.

The artwork, which is estimated to be around ₹20-30 lakh, is inspired by Husain's adoration for the people of Kolkata, as well as their desire and capacity to appreciate art.

A unique set of four untitled watercolours on mount board by Husain is another notable work that makes its debut appearance at an auction. According to AstaGuru, the package is accompanied by a collection of four limited-edition posters (1985) based on the featured artworks.

The artwork was bought from a notable Kolkata collector who sourced this one-of-a-kind works directly from the artist.

Modern Indian art, according to AstaGuru, is the proverbial "jewel in the crown" for art lovers, with a steady demand for masterworks.

The artworks in this auction take the viewer on a voyage into the realms of each master's distinctive artistic travels.

This auction allows a collector to purchase a unique piece of art that reflects major milestones in the artists' careers for no reserve, making it a fantastic opportunity for anyone wishing to acquire a masterpiece.

According to Sunny Chandiramani of AstaGuru, "This auction also allows seasoned collectors to expand their collections of some of the great masters with unique gems from their artistic oeuvre, some of which have been obtained directly from the artists by the vendor."

A 1983 Untitled oil on canvas by Jagdish Swaminathan from his distinctive Bird, Tree, and Mountain Series is another highlight of the auction.

This particular work, which is produced with a brilliant red background and is estimated to be worth between ₹40-60 lakh, demonstrates his inspiration and purpose to conserve and convey formal features of Indian miniatures, according to the auction house.

Ram Kumar's Untitled (1999) is another important oil on canvas that is being auctioned for the first time.

This major figurative work by the master, who is normally linked with abstraction, is estimated to be worth ₹40-50 lakh.

However, the artist began with figurative works in the early 1950s and only sometimes resumed figurative style works throughout his career, making this piece extremely unusual, according to AstaGuru.

Furthermore, the auction will feature works by notable artists such as F N Souza, S H Raza, Ganesh Pyne, Amrita Sher- Gil, K H Ara, Anjolie Ela Menon, K K Hebbar, Krishen Khanna, K G Subramanyan, Akbar Padamsee, and Lalu Prasad Sha, as well as works by the greats of the Bengal School of Art, including Jamini Roy, Gaganendranath Tagore,

The paintings, which will be auctioned off with no reserve and an initial bid of ₹20,000, can be seen online and at the Institute of Contemporary Indian Art in Mumbai till June 26.