Amrita Sher-Gil self-portrait sold for 1.7 mn pounds in London

A rare self portrait of modernist painter Amrita Sher-Gil created in 1931 sold for 1.7 million pounds in London at an auction by international auction house Sotheby’s, which posted sales of over 4.9 million pounds.

The Modern and Contemporary South Asia Art auction, which was part of the Indian Art Week in London set new records for four artists Gagendranath Tagore, Prodosh Das Gupta, Gieve Patel and Nasreen Mohamedi, auctioneers said today.

Sher-Gil is considered among the most important Indian painters of the 20th century. With 95 of the 174 documented works created over the course of her brief career (Sher-Gil died in 1941 aged 28) held in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art few works ever appear at auction.

Like her Mexican peer Frida Kahlo, with whom she shares Hungarian heritage, Sher-Gil was a rebellious and adventurous spirit who broke barriers in art and life.

Yamini Mehta, International Head of Modern Contemporary South Asian Art at Sotheby's said, "...As a National Treasure in India, it is rare for any work by the artist to appear at auction....This is one of her most romantic works as it was presented to her fellow artist and lover, Boris Taslitzky and has been in the hands of his family until now." 

"Off Lamington Road" by the Mumbai-born Gieve Patel, a poet and a playwright as well as a painter and practicing physician, sold for 149,000 pounds, well in excess of the press sale estimate of 30,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds.