Indian artist`s painting fetches $300,000 in US auction

New York: A previously unrecorded work by the master Indian artist Bagta fetched a record $302,500 at the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art auction here last month. This portrait of the imposing figure of Rawat Gokal Das celebrating `holi` with his consorts (fl. 1761-1814) was consigned by a collector who bought the piece two decades ago for a modest $125, according to New York auction house Bonhams.

Dated 1808 and measuring 16 x 22 inches this work is a rare representation of Bagta`s larger scale depiction. Bagta was featured in the landmark exhibition which opened at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich, and was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York`s `Wonder of the Age, Master Painters of India, 1100-1900` exhibition until recently. "It was truly incredible to witness the sale of this work come to fruition. Bringing in a lot of this calibre has proven to be not only a highlight of my career but also a highlight for Bonhams and for this 2012 Asia Week," said Edward Wilkinson, Bonhams department specialist. IANS