My art is my therapy, says artist Neeraj Bakshi
Bakshi says animals have a special role in his theatre, as they seem to connect directly with the observer as the ardent human self, ‘breaking the fourth wall’.
“The work highlights her growth and development as an artist and is a culmination of years of coming into her own as an artist of repute. It is, additionally, a rare work of the artist from that particular period to emerge in the art market and we are honoured to have played a part in creating a new benchmark with this auction.”
Amrita Sher-Gil’s 1938 painting titled ‘In the Ladies Enclosure’ sold for Rs 37.8 crore (USD 5.14 million) at a Tuesday auction by Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart, setting a world record for the highest value achieved by the artist in auction.
It is also the second-most expensive work of Indian art sold globally after V S Gaitonde’s Untitled, 1961 which sold for Rs 39.98 crore in March this year, said the auction house in a statement.
Sher-Gil (1913-1941) was a Hungarian-Indian painter and has been called one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century. The National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi also houses a large collection of her works of art.
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The artwork went under the hammer Saffronart’s Summer Live Auction.
According to Saffronart CEO and Co-Founder Dinesh Vazirani, “The record-breaking sale of Amrita Sher-Gil’s seminal painting from 1938 titled ‘In the Ladies Enclosure’ is a clear indication of her artistic merit and is a testament to her skill and talent.
“The work highlights her growth and development as an artist and is a culmination of years of coming into her own as an artist of repute. It is, additionally, a rare work of the artist from that particular period to emerge in the art market and we are honoured to have played a part in creating a new benchmark with this auction,” Vazirani said in a statement.
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