AstaGuru Presents ‘Iconic Masters’ Auction Featuring Landmark Works by India’s Modern Masters

AstaGuru will present its upcoming ‘Iconic Masters’ auction on August 11–12, 2026, bringing together a significant selection of works by some of the most celebrated figures in Indian modern art. The auction traces the evolution of Indian modernism through rare and important works by artists including S H Raza, M F Husain, Ram Kumar, Hemendranath Mazumdar, Krishen Khanna, Arpita Singh, J Swaminathan, Sakti Burman, Satish Gujral and others. The catalogue reflects the breadth of artistic experimentation that shaped modern Indian art, spanning abstraction, figuration, landscape, mythology and personal narrative.

Commenting on the auction, Mr Manoj Mansukhani, Director – Marketing, AstaGuru Auction House said, “This auction brings together works that represent pivotal moments in the evolution of Indian modernism. From Raza’s profound philosophical engagement with the Bindu and Husain’s expansive visual narratives to the intimate psychological worlds of Arpita Singh and the rare academic mastery of Hemendranath Mazumdar, the sale reflects the remarkable diversity that shaped twentieth-century Indian art. Beyond their aesthetic significance, many of these works are distinguished by exceptional provenance, exhibition history and rarity, offering collectors an opportunity to acquire museum-worthy examples by artists who continue to define the canon of Indian art.”

Leading the sale is Lot 35, S H Raza’s Jala Bindu (1990), an important work from the artist’s celebrated Bindu period and among the finest examples of his mature visual language. Created at a moment when Raza had fully synthesised European abstraction with Indian philosophical thought, the painting transforms geometry into a metaphysical proposition. The bindu, conceived as the source of energy, creation, and cosmic order, occupies the centre of a meticulously balanced composition where colour functions as both structure and symbolism. Works from this pivotal period are among the most sought-after in Raza’s oeuvre, marking the culmination of a decades-long artistic and spiritual journey.

Another major highlight is Lot 30, an Untitled diptych by M F Husain, executed around 1970, the monumental work belongs to a period widely regarded as one of the most inventive phases of Husain’s career. Across the expansive pictorial field, fragmented figures, dynamic gestures, and symbolic motifs unfold in a visual narrative that reflects the artist’s lifelong fascination with history, mythology, and the human condition. The diptych format allows Husain to orchestrate multiple episodes within a single composition, revealing the cinematic sensibility that distinguished his practice. Rarely encountered at auction in this scale and format, the work exemplifies the ambition that established Husain as one of the defining figures of twentieth-century Indian art.

Among the most significant offerings in the sale is Lot 42, an Untitled painting by M F Husain, centered on one of the artist’s most enduring motifs—the horse, the work demonstrates Husain’s extraordinary ability to transform a familiar subject into a powerful vehicle of expression. Neither purely symbolic nor purely narrative, the horse emerges as an embodiment of vitality, freedom, and elemental force. Rendered through sweeping brushwork and an assured command of form, the composition reflects the energy and immediacy that have made Husain’s equine imagery among the most recognizable icons of Indian modern art.

A further standout is Lot 44, OPCE 5 and OPCE 8, a rare, paired work by Husain. Created as part of the artist’s ambitious Our Planet Called Earth series, the works reveal Husain’s engagement with the political, cultural, and environmental realities of a rapidly changing world. Conceived on a global scale, the series moved beyond national narratives to explore humanity’s shared destiny through a rich interplay of symbolism, history, and contemporary events. Having been exhibited internationally in Paris and Dubai, these works stand as important examples of Husain’s late-career vision, reflecting the expansive intellectual scope that characterised his practice.

Among the sale’s most compelling contemporary highlights is Lot 49, an Untitled canvas by Arpita Singh, painted in 1999, the work belongs to the artist’s mature period and explores themes of intimacy, memory and domestic life through her characteristically rich palette and layered visual vocabulary.

A particularly notable rarity is Lot 8, Hemendranath Mazumdar’s Shadow, unlike the artist’s celebrated oil paintings, this early watercolour reveals a quieter and more introspective dimension of his practice. Published in period and contemporary scholarship and remaining within the family by descent, the work offers collectors an exceptional opportunity to acquire a rare example of Mazumdar’s watercolour oeuvre.

The sale further includes notable works such as Krishen Khanna’s Bandwallas (Triptych), a significant example from one of the artist’s most iconic series, and J Swaminathan’s Bird, Tree and Mountain series painting, representing the artist’s celebrated visual cosmology rooted in folk, tribal and indigenous traditions.

With works spanning more than a century of artistic production and representing many of the defining voices of Indian modernism, the ‘Iconic Masters’ auction offers collectors an opportunity to engage with artworks that have shaped the history of Indian art and continue to influence its contemporary discourse.

The auction will be conducted online on August 11–12, 2026. Please visit www.astaguru.com to preview the complete catalogue and register for participation.