Six Modern Indian Masterpieces to Watch in AstaGuru’s ‘Collectors Choice’ Auction

AstaGuru’s ‘Collectors Choice’ online auction, taking place on June 26–27, 2025, brings together an eclectic and historically significant selection of works by India’s foremost modern artists. Spanning rare archives, myth-infused canvases, and evocative figuration, the lots reflect a spectrum of styles and sensibilities that defined Indian modernism in the 20th century. These six standout entries offer a compelling glimpse into the auction’s depth:

Rabindranath Tagore

Lot 5 | Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper | Estimate: ₹5–7 Cr

This extraordinary archive comprises 35 handwritten letters and 14 envelopes penned by

Rabindranath Tagore to sociologist Dhurjati Prasad Mukerji between 1927 and 1936. The

correspondence, rich in personal reflection and philosophical insight, reveals Tagore in creative

transition—from poet and public figure to visual artist and private seeker. Designated a National

Art Treasure, this lot is non-exportable and represents one of the most significant literary

holdings to appear in a modern Indian art sale.

M.F. Husain

Lot 59 | Medium: Acrylic on Canvas | Estimate: ₹2–3 Cr

This large-format painting from around 2000 brings together two towering figures of moral and

spiritual influence—Mother Teresa and M K Gandhi—within M.F. Husain’s expressive visual

idiom. The faceless representation of Mother Teresa in her distinct nun’s attire and Gandhi with

his dhoti and walking stick is characteristic of Husain’s ability to convey identity through

silhouette and gesture. Other symbolic elements, such as the chakra and lamp, further embed

the work in a distinctly Indian visual and cultural lexicon. Executed in a restrained palette of

black, white, brown, and blue, the painting enhances the dark yet deeply emotive quality of the

piece.

Ramachandran

Lot 66 | Title: Visions of Ramdev – Ahalya in Red | Medium: Oil on Canvas | Estimate:

₹1.2–1.6 Cr

Ramachandran’s mythological reinterpretation draws from the tale of Ahalya in the Ramayana,

presenting the figure in a moment of awakening. Rich reds, detailed foliage, and architectural

forms surround her, invoking both narrative tension and visual abundance. Painted in 2001, the

work exemplifies Ramachandran’s ability to integrate classical themes with a contemporary

painterly vocabulary steeped in ecological and cultural symbolism.

J.P. Gangooly

Lot 2 | Medium: Oil on Canvas | Estimate: ₹1–1.5 Cr

This circa 1930 landscape by one of Bengal’s early plein air painters captures a winding path

flanked by autumnal trees and distant hills. Gangooly’s romantic naturalism and tonal subtlety

give the composition a meditative quality that echoes the early stirrings of Indian modernist

thought, as it began to absorb and localize Western techniques.

Krishen Khanna

Lot 17 | Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas | Estimate: ₹40–60 Lakhs

Khanna’s recurring subject—the bandwalla—is revisited here with quiet power. The lone

trumpeter, painted in mixed media, stands in contemplative stillness, symbolising endurance,

anonymity, and performance. Part of a decades-long exploration, the work reflects Khanna’s

deep engagement with Indian street life and the visual poetics of sound and procession.

Nandalal Bose

Lot 3 | Medium: Watercolour & Ink on Paper | Estimate: ₹25–35 Lakhs

Created in 1953, this lyrical composition reflects Bose’s Bengal School roots, combining soft

gradations and fluid rhythm with an economy of line. His work, influenced by indigenous folk

traditions and contextual modernism, continues to resonate for its quiet formal strength. This

National Art Treasure is also non-exportable and offers a significant entry point into the artist’s

post-Santiniketan period.

To view the entire catalog visit www.astaguru.com