South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works by Benodebehari Mukherjee from the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation

Christie’s is delighted to announce the live auction of South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works by Benodebehari Mukherjee from the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation taking place on 17 March alongside an online auction running from 4-18 March. Together, these two sales celebrate a wide variety of artistic practices from the South Asian subcontinent and its diaspora across the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Part I of the live sale is led by important early works by Tyeb Mehta (Confidant, 1962) and Francis Newton Souza (Family, 1946). Also included are exceptional examples works by of modern masters Maqbool Fida Husain, Sayed Haider Raza and Narayan Shridhar Bendre. Complementing these is a fine group of paintings by Krishen Khanna from the collection of Arthur and Lilly Banwell, acquired directly from the artist over the course of a long family friendship and held privately for over half a century. A diverse contemporary section includes impressive prints and a sculpture by Zarina, and significant works by the region’s most renowned practitioners like Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, Ranjani Shettar, Jitish Kallat and Subodh Gupta, to name a few. 

Part II includes a significant collection of works by Benodebehari Mukherjee (1904-1980) from the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation. Ethereal landscapes by this pioneer of modern Indian art are complemented by a group of figurative works and nature studies representing every phase of his career. Particularly important are collages, sketches and prints from the final stage of his life, executed after the artist’s complete loss of eyesight. Christie’s is honored to present this notable selection of works by one of the most respected artists and teachers in India from the collection of his daughter Mrinalini Mukherjee’s foundation.