In a roomful of exquisite art, blinking screens, nervous staff members and discerning yet indecisive buyers, William Robinson’s job is to keep the drama quotient high. International auction house Christie’s celebrated its 250th anniversary this year, and Robinson has been with the organisation for 35 of those years. As their modern art auctioneer and International Head of Group, World Art, Robinson is the most nervous while handling the Mumbai sale, which is their last auction of the year.
Mumbai has had a longstanding tradition of collecting art, and has in several ways been a pivotal market for the buying and selling of art. Last week, Christie’s fourth annual sale took place in the city, making a total sale of Rs. 72.16 crore. The figure is a drop from last December’s record sale of nearly a hundred crore, perhaps owing to the demonetisation slump. But through bids, both good and bad, Robinson’s responsibility to keep the auction thrilling remains steady and unwavering. “After all, everyone likes theatre,” he says.
Collecting classical art
The December 18 auction, for the first time, took place in two sections. An increase in supply of classical Indian art drove the auction house to hold a divided sale this year: Classical Indian Art, and Modern and Contemporary Art. Two years ago, Christie’s had kept two antiquities up for auction: one by Nandalal Bose and the other by Rabindranath Tagore. Last year, the number rose to 30, and this year, 72 works of classical art were available.
Owing to historical significance, Indian classical art is bound by regulations, restricting its sale to international clients. But the government’s stringent checks often come in handy when testing the authenticity of art.
However, the debate between public access of antiquities in museums and selling them to private collectors remains pertinent. “It’s fantastic that museums have art on display, but there’s enough art to go around,” says Robinson. He says museums bought classical art in substantial amount in the ’60s and ’70s due to an increase in the market supply. “They may have a collection of 20,000 objects, but they have only about 1,000 on display.”
The auctioneer adds that several works of art, like miniature paintings, have been specifically created for individual enjoyment and private collections.
Art or investment
Despite a tumultuous year in the global art market, works of art have proven to be a rewarding investment in the long term. For instance, this particular auction witnessed the sale of a folio from an iconic Pahari series of Ragamala paintings — attributed to the Himalayan foothill of Basohli — that was part of the classical section. The works were sold for a staggering Rs. 93.25 lakh. There was also an unusually large stone figure of the mother Goddess, possibly a Matrika, circa sixth century, which went for Rs. 43.75 lakh.
Regardless of these figures, Robinson strongly believes that art should be bought for more than just investment. He says that art has historically been a good investment and would continue to be so, but buyers often falter when they purchase a painting or sculpture merely based on the reputation of an artist. “It’s not just a commodity; artists have good and bad days.” The auctioneer explains that two works by the same person, made in the same time period, may not fetch the same price. However, Robinson is always willing to advise buyers. And it’s easier to advise clients if the auctioneer believes an artist is undervalued, but can’t guarantee if the artist will be appreciated in the future as well. “So buy what you actively want to live with; something that will give you pleasure even when you wake up knackered in the morning.”
Pinning the price tag
Over the years, Robinson has developed a deep understanding of the arduous process of pricing art and curating a sale. According to the auctioneer, estimating the price is partly science and partly artistic judgment, which involves intense research and discussion with experts. When it comes to the latter, Robinson looks out for variety, rarity and freshness in the art work for an auction. “If I show you the Mona Lisa , it’s so well known as an image that it’s difficult to have a fresh look to it.”
Robinson is also highly intrigued by the stories of the previous owners of an art work. According to him, one of the most exciting sales he has conducted was a collection of tiles belonging to the Islamic arts, that was secured during World War II. In 1971, when the artworks’ German owner passed away, the collection was found in a passage connecting his house to his clinic. They were all placed on the closed-off tunnel’s walls. “So my first visit was to break down the door.” The sale was a roaring success, generating four times the estimated price.
In spite of such adventures, Robinson finds the adrenaline rush of an auction to be the most exciting part of his job. “The raw material in art is worth nothing.” Hence, the long-term success of an auction house rests on its reputation and confidence of its employees, something the auctioneer has successfully built at Christie’s in three decades.
