Gaitonde shines at Bonhams auction in London

Six artworks by modern Indian artist V S Gaitonde, sold for a total of 727,000 pounds at Bonhams Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art sale in London.
In total the sale held on June 11 made 1,370,000 pounds with over 90 per cent of the lots being sold, auctioneers said.
The six untitled ink on paper drawings (estimated between 20,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds each) were acquired directly from the artist by American abstract painter Morris Graves, who visited Gaitonde's studio in 1963.
One of the works sold for 158,500 pounds, three for 146,500 pounds and the remaining two for 134,000 pounds.

This series of drawings, part of the same set as a collection in the National Gallery of Modern Art here marks a critical turn in Gaitonde's career: in 1961 he abandoned figuration, adopting the use of rollers and ink and the use of a monochrome palette.
Other highlights in the auction included Untitled (Self Portrait) by Maqbool Fida Husain which sold for 56,250 pounds and 'Horse' by the same artist which made 47,500 pounds.
Untitled (Birds) by Shalir Ali was bought for 52,500 pounds against an estimate of 5,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds.
"In a strong sale, the Gaitonde series stood out. Each of the drawings was fiercely contested - online, on the phone and in the room - making this one of our most exciting South Asian auctions to date," Tahmina Ghaffar, newly appointed specialist for Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, said.