Kiran Nadar, a prominent Indian collector, revealed she purchased M.F. Husain's 1954 painting *Untitled (Gram Yatra)* for $13.8 million at Christie's New York, making it the most expensive work of Indian modern art ever sold at auction. The painting, originally owned by a Norwegian surgeon and later donated to Oslo University Hospital, was consigned after a 13-year deaccessioning process. Nadar and her husband Shiva, who have ranked on ARTnews's Top 200 Collectors list since 2019, will add the work to their collection of over 15,000 pieces, many displayed at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi.
This acquisition underscores the rising global market for Indian modern art and the growing influence of Indian collectors in the international art world. The painting's record-breaking price highlights the increasing recognition of artists like M.F. Husain, whose work engages with post-independence nation-building and international modernism. Additionally, the upcoming opening of the M.F. Husain Museum in Doha, Qatar, signals expanding institutional interest in Husain's legacy beyond India.