The timeless appeal of S H Raza: 'Tapovan' painting sets auction record

What is it about Raza that has constantly captured collectors' attentions and ensured that he has a queue of buyers?

When, this week, S H Raza breached his own earlier record at auction house Christie’s sale in New York to grab a headline-making Rs 293 million for a 1972 painting, Tapovan, it showed once again the scarcity of marquee names Indian art has nurtured. While names in the top category in the West continue to throw up endless choices and surprises, in India they have rarely moved away from the triumvirate of F N Souza, V S Gaitonde and S H Raza — and no, M F Husain is not part of the club — with the latter two now