A live auction by Saffronart on October 13 has set a world record, becoming the most expensive work by Jamini Roy to be sold in an auction. The untitled, large tempera-on-cloth painting sold for Rs 4.32 crore.
A 1954 Padma Bhusan awardee, Jamini Roy is one of nine artists the government of India dubs a national treasure or "Navratna". Heavily influenced by traditional Kalighat paintings, the Bengali painter rejected the Western academic style to adopt the vivid, folk idioms of his native Bengal. He is often considered the father of modern Indian art. Until the sale of the untitled piece, his most expensive work had sold for a relatively modest Rs 72.1 lakh at an auction in 2007. Called "Musicians," it was sized at 33 x 59 inches.
"Works by Jamini Roy have retained a constant presence in Indian art auctions since 1987. Despite this perennial circulation, the price points for his works did not record beyond marginal growth until recently," says Arvind Vijaymohan, founder and CEO of the art research and advisory firm Artery India. "Jamini's previous best at auction was established for what was till then the largest work by the artist to be seen in a public domain sale. It sold in 2007, achieving £90,000—and could foreseeably be displaced only by a larger dimension."
The untitled painting is acquired from the Uma and Ravi Jain collection in New Delhi.
The untitled painting is a rectangular composition with vertical sections and is a massive 100.25x 113.5 inches in size. The central motif is of a stately female form holding a child in her arms. The reddish-brown backdrop is reminiscent of the typical style of Bishnupur temples. The child is believed to be Lord Krishna and is flanked by devoted attendants on either side. This painting, according to the Saffronart website, acts as a "marker of Roy's formidable talent that grew more distinct over the course of his long artistic career."
"Several important works by the artist have sold between 2007 and 2021, raising his average price benchmarks significantly, though it was a certainty that a work of such a monumental dimension would create a new world record," adds Vijaymohan.
Jamini Roy passed away on April 24, 1972. There was a Google Doodle tribute for the iconic artist in 2017 to celebrate his 130th birth anniversary.