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.
The sale matters because it brings to market works with exceptional provenance and exhibition history, many returning for the first time in decades, signaling sustained demand for South Asian modern art. The inclusion of pieces from the Herwitz collection—which helped establish the market for South Asian art—underscores the auction's historical significance and its potential to set new benchmarks for the category.