Contemporary Indian master F.N.Souza's 1957 painting, estimated between $1.7 million to $2.5 million, is leading at the Modern and Contemporary South Asian art sale at Christie's slated for June 11, the organisers said Wednesday.
The painting "Man & Woman Grinding Their Teeth" borrows from traditional African art and cubism with both figures painted with mask-like faces and elongated features. It is in the race with works from artists like M.F. Husain, S.H.Raza and Bhupen Khakhar among others.
Another Souza work - a portrait of a half-naked girl set against a crimson background - is estimated at $0.2 million to $0.3 million.
Alongside Souza, Husain's "Untitled" (Horses)" - a 1965 iconic representation of the powerful yet sensuous creatures that remained so central to his career - is estimated at $0.1 million to $0.37 million.
Another Husain work "Untitled" (Elephant Family), from the 1960s with thick overlapping brushstrokes revealing the head and trunks of the intimate family groups is estimated at $0.16 million to $0.2 million.
Khakhar's collage of various portraits and landscapes including a group chatting on a beach, playing in the water to a larger solitary figure staring straight out of the picture, is estimated at $ 0.3 million to $0.42 million.
This will be the second sale of this year's four sales for this international department which will conclude with their second sale in India, to be held in Mumbai in December.