Vasari Art Codex

trending_up market schedule Oct 7, 2025 source 2 sources visibility 3 link 14 artists, 2 galleries

The extraordinary boom in modern Indian art

Despite a general art market downturn, modern Indian art auctions have seen extraordinary demand. Over the past two weeks, sales at Christie’s in New York, Saffron Art in New Delhi, Pundole’s in Mumbai, and Sotheby’s in London all sold out. Sotheby’s London sale raised £19 million, more than five times its estimate, led by record-breaking works from Francis Newton Souza, including *Houses in Hampstead* (1962) sold for £5.6 million and *Emperor* (1957) sold for £5.2 million. The article traces Souza’s rebellious career, from his expulsion from school in Mumbai for pornographic graffiti, to his founding role in the Progressive Artists’ Group, his struggles in England and the US, and his eventual death in 2002 with little recognition.

newspaper The Telegraph open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 25, 2025 visibility 4 link 13 artists, 8 galleries

India’s art market is fast growing—is it also maturing?

The third edition of Art Mumbai (13-16 November) saw strong sales and record auction prices for Indian Modernists, including MF Husain's *Gram Yatra* (1953) becoming the first Indian painting to sell for over $10 million. The fair, held amid surging private wealth in India, featured leading contemporary galleries reporting up to 90% sales on opening day, with works priced from $1,000 to $300,000. A recent reduction in India's goods and service tax on art from 12% to 5% has further boosted the market.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 16, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

fake paintings india investment banker farmer charge sheet 1234757550

Indian officials have released a charge sheet in an ongoing investigation into the sale of forged paintings attributed to major modern Indian artists M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, Manjit Bawa, and F. N. Souza. The alleged scheme involved a poor farmer, Raghavendra Parmar, who posed as a maharaja to sell fake works, aided by lawyer Vishwang Desai, who presented himself as a collector to persuade investment banker Puneet Bhatia to purchase the pieces. The paintings, collectively valued at around ₹17.9 crore ($2 million), were allegedly funneled through Mumbai's Rare Art Gallery, run by Rajesh Rajpal, and the related firm Art India International. A former IAS officer, Subroto Banerjee, is also implicated but denies involvement.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 8, 2025 visibility 4 link 23 artists, 2 galleries

From Mondrian to Man Ray, Here Are the Best-Sellers at Auction So Far This Year

The article analyzes the best-selling artworks at auction in the first half of 2025, covering Old Masters, Impressionist and Modern, and Postwar categories. Notable sales include a pair of Francesco Guardi views of Venice that sold for $10.5 million at Sotheby’s New York, a Piet Mondrian abstraction from the estate of Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio that fetched just under $50 million, and a monumental rhinoceros-shaped desk by François-Xavier Lalanne that more than tripled its high estimate after a 13-minute bidding war. The report highlights that Old Masters sales were up 24% year-over-year, while top Impressionist and Modern lots saw lower prices compared to 2024.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 8, 2025 visibility 3 link 23 artists, 2 galleries

From Mondrian to Man Ray, Here Are the Best-Sellers at Auction So Far This Year

The article reports on the best-selling lots at auction in the first half of 2025, covering Old Masters, Impressionist and Modern, and Postwar categories. Key sales include a pair of Francesco Guardi views of Venice that sold for $10.5 million at Sotheby's New York, a Piet Mondrian abstraction from the estate of Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio that fetched nearly $50 million, and a François-Xavier Lalanne rhinoceros-shaped desk that tripled its high estimate after a 13-minute bidding war. The data is drawn from the Artnet Intelligence Report Mid-Year Review 2025.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 3 link 5 artists, 3 galleries

Ai Weiwei will open his first solo exhibition in India

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will open his first solo exhibition in India at Nature Morte in New Delhi, running from January 15 to February 22, 2026. The show spans over four decades of his work, featuring large-scale Lego pieces reinterpreting art history icons like Hokusai and Monet, new Lego compositions inspired by Hindu Pichwai paintings, homages to Indian modernists V.S. Gaitonde and S.H. Raza, the installation "Whitewashed Remnants of History of the State of Emerging Future Works," and the textile work "F.U.C.K." (2024). The exhibition is organized in collaboration with Galleria Continua.

newspaper Hube magazine open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Sep 17, 2025 visibility 4 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

Sotheby’s September Sale stars Indian Masters

Sotheby’s is holding a September 2025 auction in London titled 'Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art,' featuring major works by Indian modernists including Francis Newton Souza, M.F. Husain, Sayed Haider Raza, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and K.K. Hebbar. Highlights include Souza's 'Emperor' (1957) from his celebrated mid-1950s period, Husain's 'Chittore Fort' (1964) from the renowned Chester and Davida Herwitz collection, and Bhattacharjee's 'Two Sisters No. 2' (1982), which previously sold in a landmark Herwitz single-owner sale at Sotheby’s in 1995.

newspaper The Times of India open_in_new Read original