Akbar to lead Sotheby`s Asian art sale

Akbar Padamsee`s art work is one of the highlights of Sotheby`s Asia Week.

New Delhi: British auction house Sotheby`s sale of Indian and Southeast Asian art in New York March 25 will be led by an important art work by artist Akbar Padamsee.

Padamsee`s art work, ‘Untitled (Reclining Nude)’, is one of the highlights of Sotheby`s Asia Week series of auctions in New York, carrying an estimated price of USD 700,000, a statement issued here Friday said. It was acquired by a private collector from the artist over 50 years ago and has never before appeared at an auction. Sotheby`s had presented the painting to collectors at the recent Indian Art Summit in the capital, allowing it to return to India for the first time since 1960. It will be on view at Sotheby`s in New York from March 18, 2011. ‘Untitled (Reclining Nude)’ was executed in 1960 when the artist produced few paintings and worked in shades of grey. It was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in Montreal the same year. The monotone of the work that will be on sale gives the nude a subtle layer that is in contrast to the rich colour palette of his early paintings, a spokesperson for the auction house said. Described by the artist as one of his ‘best paintings’, it is one of the three large format paintings from his Juhu series. Born in 1928, Padamsee, a graduate from the JJ School of Art in Mumbai lives and works in Mumbai. He is known for his abstract ‘Cityscape’ and ‘Metascape’ series. IANS