Mughal miniature sold for more than Rs 119 crore at Christie's London auction, sets record for classical Indian art

A miniature depicting a family of cheetahs relaxing on a patch of luxuriant grass in a rocky landscape attributed to one of Akbars favourite artists Basawan has set the record for the most expensive classical Indian art at Christies London auction on October 28Sold for GBP 10245000 approximately Rs 11949 crore at Christies auction of Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince amp Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan the painting titled A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape circa 157580 sold for 14 times over its estimateThe highly important work in the history of early Mughal art sold close to M F Husains 1954 Untitled Gram Yatra that became the most expensive Indian painting after selling for USD 1375 million at a Christies New York auction in MarchAccording to the lot essay this study of a family of cheetahs is one of the most outstanding and unforgettable early Mughal paintingsExquisitely observed and rendered with an evocative and highly expressive naturalism it has been firmly attributed by many leading scholars to the great Akbarperiod master Basawan one of the emperors favourite artists it readsAmong the many elements in the scene is a stream that tumbles to the lower left and a large tree with a twisted trunk growing animatedly at the upper left providing the cheetahs with shade The male cheetah looks on contentedly while the female suckles one cub while cleaning anotheriquestThe results of the auction of Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan illustrate the enduring appeal of works of art of this calibre with such notable provenance many of which are regarded as icons in the field of Indian and Persian paintingThe public viewing of the collection was extremely well attended and the energy and enthusiasm in the auction room is reflected in the outstanding prices achieved including a world auction record for a Classical Indian or Islamic painting This is a landmark moment for the market for Indian and Islamic art and is a testament to the discerning eye of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Sara Plumbly Christies head of Islamic and Indian Art said in a statementThe auction featured 95 works from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan including Indian Persian and Ottoman works by celebrated artists such as Dust Muhammad Basawan Ghulam Ali Khan Bishan Singh Reza Abbasi and Levni as well as paintings from iconic groups such as the St Petersburg Muraqqa the Fraser Album and the Polier albumsThe 100 per cent sold out auction totalled GBP 45760 485 approximately Rs 53379 crore attracted registrants from 20 countries across four continentsOther notable results include Maharao Umed Singh 17711819 and Zalim Singh Hunting Tigers signed by Shaykh Taju Kotah Rajasthan India dated Samvat 38 1781 AD which sold for GBP 5052000 approximately Rs 5894 crore A Prince Hawking attributed to Muhammad Ali Mughal India circa 1610 sold for GBP 3954000 approximately Rs 4612 crore and the 16th century portrait of Shah AbulMaali of Kashgar by Dust Muhammad that fetched GBP 2734000 approximately Rs 3189 croreThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever