MF Husain’s Painting Shatters Records; The Most Expensive Modern Indian Art

MF Husain’s monumental 1954 painting Untitled (Gram Yatra) fetched a staggering USD 13.8 million (over Rs 118 crore) at a Christie’s auction in New York on March 19, shattering records to become the most expensive work of modern Indian art. Spanning nearly 14 feet across 13 panels, this vivid depiction of a ‘village pilgrimage’ eclipses the previous benchmark set by Amrita Sher-Gil’s The Story Teller, sold for USD 7.4 million (Rs 61.8 crore) in Mumbai in 2023.

Hailed as a pinnacle of Husain’s 1950s oeuvre, Gram Yatra captures the vibrancy of post-independence India. Nishad Avari, Christie’s head of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, called the sale a “landmark moment,” reflecting the soaring global demand for South Asian art. The painting, unseen in India since its departure in 1954, was originally acquired by Ukrainian-Norwegian doctor Leon Elias Volodarsky, then in Delhi with the WHO. Donated to Oslo University Hospital in 1964, its sale proceeds will fund medical training.

Husain, born in 1915 in Maharashtra, is a towering figure in Indian art, blending mythology, history, and contemporary politics in his works. Gram Yatra surpasses his prior record, Untitled (Reincarnation), sold for USD 3.1 million in 2024. Known for provocative depictions of deities, Husain faced backlash, including FIRs and death threats, forcing him into exile in Dubai, New York, and London, where he passed away in 2011 at 95.

This auction not only cements Husain’s legacy but also signals a robust market trajectory for modern Indian art, with Gram Yatra standing as a testament to his enduring global influence.