Vasudeo Gaitonde, Nasreen Mohamedi works at Sotheby's upcoming New York sale

Two paintings from the 1960s by leading Indian abstractionists Vasudeo S Gaitonde and Nasreen Mohamedi will be among the rare works that will go under the hammer at Sotheby's upcoming auction on March 16 in New York. Sotheby's said the sale that commemorates 25 years of its annual 'Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art auction' will feature a selection of never-before-seen works, with "95 per cent" of works emerging from private collections.

Gaitonde's Untitled oil on canvas, painted in 1963, features gradations of colour and geometric forms that coalesce almost as a 'horizon line', a style typical of the artist's practice during the period. Appearing at an auction for the first time, the painting was previously in the collection of Ruth and Robert Marshak for over half a century after the couple acquired the work directly from the artist in the 1960s.

It is estimated at 1-1.5 USD million (Rs 7.15 - 10.71 crore). The canvas by Mohamedi, who developed a form of abstraction during the 1960s, reveals her indebtedness to her mentor and fellow artist Gaitonde.

Estimated at 200-300,000 USD (Rs 1.42 - 2.14 crore), the painting will be appearing at auction and exhibited publicly for the first time this spring after remaining in the same private collection for over five decades. It was originally acquired in Bombay by American patrons Peggy and Robert Matthews in 1963 before it was gifted to the present owner in 2018.

"We are thrilled to continue our strength in presenting fresh material to collectors worldwide, with almost our entire March sale featuring material that is either newly discovered or has remained in esteemed private collections for decades," said Anu Ghosh-Mazumdar, Head of Sotheby's Indian and Southeast Asian Art Department in New York. An untitled work by Raja Ravi Varma showcasing "Swami Vishwamitra in meditation" is also expected to be a major draw at the sale.

Estimated at 700-900,000 USD (Rs 5 - 6.43 crore), the painting was formerly in the collection of German printer Fritz Schleicher, and is among a very limited body of this Indian National Treasure artist's work that is in free circulation outside India and available for acquisition by international buyers. Modernist Bhupen Khakhar's "In the Coconut Groves", estimated at 200-300,000 USD (Rs 1.42 - 2.14 crore), is another highlight of the sale.

Painted in 1993, the artwork was previously exhibited at the Tate Modern in London at his retrospective titled "Bhupen Khakhar: You Can't Please All". Renowned as India's first "pop artist", Khakhar was recognized for pioneering tender and witty portrayals of life as he encountered it, and often considered his own homosexuality - a particularly courageous gesture at a time when having a same-sex relationship was still largely unseen in the Indian public sphere.

A selection of sculptures led by modernist works by Amarnath Sehgal and Adi Davierwalla, a curated selection on "neo-tantra", including works by Biren De, G R Santosh, as well as a diverse selection of works from the Bengal School of Art, and modern and contemporary art from Pakistan will also be part of the sale.

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