Portrait of an artist's friend: An Amrita Sher-Gil rediscovered

Sher-Gil's hitherto unknown portrait will lead Christie's March auction

At first glance it may seem like a Modernist throwback to the Mona Lisa, but less of an enigma and far more intimate. The artwork, a close friend’s portrait by Amrita Sher-Gil, is a priceless rediscovered painting by the iconic Indian artist that will headline a Christie’s auction on March 17.

The auction house on Tuesday announced the most expensive top lot of the “South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art” auction slated to be held in New York.

Sher-Gil’s portrait of Denyse Proutaux, a French art critic who was a close friend of hers and her sister Indira, has been set an