Rare works of Raja Ravi Varma and others on sale in New Delhi

Bid & Hammer, the renowned Bangalore-based Auction House, returns with yet another exceptional path-breaking auction -‘Significant Indian Paintings’ Sale 0007.  The auction isscheduled to be held on November 30th 2010 at the ITC Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, the same would be preceded by a three-day preview at the Russian Science & Cultural Centre, New Delhi, from 25th- 27th November 2010 between 10 am to 7 pm. 

In view of this occasion, Maher Dadha, Chairman and Managing Director of Bid & Hammer Auction House said, "After the fantastic response to our previous two auctions held in March and August 2010 respectively in Bangalore, I am now delighted to present Bid & Hammer’s Sale 0007, pertinently titled ‘Significant Indian Paintings’, as it reflects our ongoing endeavor to bring forth works of the unsung heroes of modern Indian art during its germination period."  

Apart from the signature style works by eminent artists like Raja Ravi Varma, F.N.Souza and Jamini Roy; this auction brings forth some unusual works of lesser known phases by these artists. These are the Tanjore style portraiture of Maharaja Serfoji II, embellished with gomedhaks, by Raja Ravi Varma; F. N.Souza’s graphic tribute to Rabindranath and Jamini Roy’s female nude on canvas from his early explorations with Post-Impressionist mannerisms. Of the signature-style renditions special mention is deserved for Ravi Varma’s ‘Ravana abducting Sita’- a study for the final work and Souza’s ‘Crucifixion’ depicting Mary Magdelene alongside the slain Christ. 

Among the other noteworthy artists being featured are Nicholas Roerich - celebrated philosopher and indologist, noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal School pioneers Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, among others, A.R.Chughtai, Hemendranath Mazumdar, B.C. Law, Allah Bux, A.H. Muller, K.K. Hebbar, Shivax Chavda, S.H. Raza, K.S. Kulkarni and  Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, to name a few. For the first time in India, artist Pranay Ranjan Roy’s work is being showcased even though after a successful representation in international auctions.   

As a full fledged auction house, Bid & Hammer looks at art beyond the realm of Indian contemporary art. This explains their resurgence after a deliberately prolonged lull that observed the market for Indian paintings coming to terms with the burst of the pricing bubble that had engulfed it for a while.  

Taking it up as a challenging motivation, the Auction-house offers significant works, at the most competitive estimates. Realizing the fact that the artists and their works deserve higher estimates, the auctioneers hope for the bidders to have the final say, as they feel it to be the very purpose of an open market auction mechanism.  

Accordingly this forthcoming auction offers a diverse selection of works at estimates starting from just ` 20,000 and going up to Rs 1,75,00,000 / Rs 1.75 Crs ($ 435 – 3,80,435). Out of a total lot size of 84 works there are 69 paintings which in turn comprise of 3 works by Raja Ravi Varma, 2 by Nicholas Roerich and 8 works by Souza amongst others. In association with American Express Banking Corporation, and further enabled by ‘Live Online’ bidding option that secures a safe online bidding through the interface of Liveauctioneers.com,  Bid & Hammer, Hopes to make this auction an event of historical enormity and grand success.  

The auction will take place at ITC Sheraton Hotel, Saket while the public preview of the collection will be held at the Russian Centre of Science & Culture from 25th to 27th November 2010 between 10 am to 7 pm.