Standing in a gallery filled with works by masters of Indian art is a surreal experience. You feel like you are in a museum with each work of art having its own story to tell. One wonders how lucky will those be who buy a painting at the auction to be held at The Oberoi hotel on Thursday. They would be able to take home with them a piece of India’s history, culture and heritage to preserve and handover as an heirloom.
Over 76 works by artists such as M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, H.A. Gade, K.K. Hebbar, Ram Kumar, Ganesh Pyne, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Jogen Chowdhury and Laxma Goud, besides the masters Rabindranath Tagore and M. V. Dhurandhar are up for auction.
The auction is being conducted by Delhi Art Gallery in association with Outset India, helmed by supermodel Feroze Gujral. The gallery organised a preview for prospective buyers at Delhi Art Gallery at Emporio, Vasant Kunj.
Kishore Singh, head publication and exhibition at Delhi Art Gallery, says: “The auction stands apart as the artworks are being offered with no buyer's premium. This makes acquiring the works of masters affordable. The fact that the proceeds go toward charity efforts of Outset related to encouraging an emerging art infrastructure, should be an added incentive for collectors and art lovers.”
Sukriti, an art advisor at the Delhi Art Gallery speaking about the response that the preview has received, says some people come in knowing exactly what they want and just come to see the work before they bid for it.
However, newbies are a little different she says as they are more confused “ I advise them to ask a few questions before buying any work of art like the history, period when it was painted, the artist’s story behind the piece, and the thought process. The answers to these questions help you value the work,” says Sukriti.
Art investmentPeople wanting to invest in art and have the resources prefer to invest in the work of modern Indian masters as the value of the work will always go up. Investing in a contemporary work is a more risky investment, but buyers mostly go in for such works when they want to decorate a wall or install it somewhere to go with a theme.
The auction will be held at 8-30 p.m. at The Oberoi hotel on Thursday.
