Jogen, Bose highlights of Sotheby`s India sale

A 1979 work by Jogen Chowdhury will be at Sotheby`s India sale.

New Delhi, May 23: A 1979 work by the master of modern Indian art Jogen Chowdhury - painted on paper in ink and pastel colours, and titled "Day Dreaming" - will be the highlight of the annual sale of Indian art by Sotheby`s in London June 16.

The work is estimated at 80,000-120,000 British pounds, a press communique by Sotheby`s from London said Thursday. The artwork, sources at Sotheby`s said, is in the tradition of the Bengal `pat`, a style that evolved in the state between the 18th and 19th century to represent the folk traditions, socio-cultural and religious milieu of the state. The art work, which stands out for its fluid lines and rounded contours - is of a woman who day dreams with a happy smile on her face. "Day Dreaming" is part of a series of works that Chowdhury painted between 1968-76 titled, "Reminiscences of a Dream", that capture symbols and figures from a world of dreams floating against a dark background that are devoid of place and time. Chowdhury, who trained in both Kolkata and Paris, is known for his ink works. "Day Dreaming" has never featured at an auction before and is one of the largest works of its type to have come to the international market. Another important work is a series of four ink and wash paintings by Nandalal Bose, Untitled (Ocean Dune), Untitled (Where Cranes Nest), Untitled (Hills Ablaze), Untitled (Two Sal Trees), drawn between the late 1950s and early 1960s. The quartet, depicting the trajectory of Indian culture over the decades, is estimated at 10,000-15,000 pounds. An untitled painting by Manjit Bawa which featured on the cover of the first issue of the Art India magazine in 1996 is expected to rake in 770,000-100,000 pounds. The cache also includes three Mughal miniatures from the Ehrenfeld Collection belonging to Lois Ehrenfeld estimated at 88,000 pounds, 110,000 pounds and 112,000 pounds respectively, the release said. Two of the miniatures are portraits of Prince Sulaiman Shikoh and his father Prince Dara Shikoh, who was the eldest son and heir apparent of Shah Jahan, while the third is a genre scene of a prince meeting a holy man, which closely follows the style of the Mughal artist Govardhan, who was often commissioned by Dara Shikoh. The 86 lots are expected to bring in nearly 11.2 million pounds. IANS