Christie’s marks a significant summer in South Asian art with two centenaries and an important auction. Following the record-breaking sale in May of Maqbool Fida Husain’s Untitled (Gram Yatra) for $13.75 million, the highest price ever achieved for a work of Modern Indian Art, the auction house now turns its attention to Tyeb Mehta and Krishen Khanna, who would both reach their hundredth year in 2025.
To honour these milestones, Christie’s will present Mehta’s Trussed Bull (1994, estimate US $1.5–2.5 million) and Khanna’s Bandwallas in Procession (1995, estimate US$60,000–80,000) in its upcoming New York sale of South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art on 17 September. Ahead of the auction, these works will be exhibited at Christie’s Dubai from 27 to 29 August, alongside other highlights from the sale.
Among the featured works is Vasudeo S. Gaitonde’s Untitled (1984, estimate US$2–3 million), a painting with historical resonance for Christie’s, as it was first offered in 1987 in the company’s inaugural India auction at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, organised to benefit Helpage India. This early landmark marked the beginning of Christie’s ongoing presence in the country, which was formalised with a permanent Mumbai office in 1994.
The September auction and its Dubai preview underscore Christie’s role in shaping the global visibility of South Asian Modern and Contemporary art. Through rare works by Mehta, Khanna, Gaitonde and others, the season pays tribute to artists whose legacies continue to resonate across shifting geographies and generations.