Rabindranath Tagore's 1937 painting *From Across the Dark* sold for 107 million rupees ($1.2 million) at AstaGuru's "Historic Masterpieces" online auction, setting a new auction record for the artist. The work, executed in ink, poster color, and crayon, far exceeded its presale low estimate of 20 million rupees. Tagore's previous record was set at Sotheby's London in October 2023 for *Untitled (Three Bauls)*.
The sale underscores growing global interest in Indian Modern art. Tagore, primarily known as a Nobel Prize-winning poet and philosopher, began painting in his 60s and developed a distinctive style compared to Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. His works are unlikely to be sold outside India, as they were declared national treasures in 1976 and are prohibited from export, making this record particularly significant for the domestic market.