Panaji: Renowned artist of Goan-origin Francis Newton Souza’s artwork St Sebastian (1957) fetched Rs 7.3 crore, more than double of its higher estimate, at the recently-held Saffronart Summer Online Auction.Estimated to be between Rs 1.8-2.8 crore at the time, the work is emblematic of Souza’s psychologically charged heads and his engagement with religious iconography, martyrdom, and the contradictions of institutional faith.“We saw the highest price ever achieved for an Indian painting at auction, which reaffirms the sustained and growing appetite for South Asian art, both in India and overseas. We are witnessing a pivotal moment for South Asian art in the global art market and are proud to have played a central role in building and nurturing this market over the past two and a half decades,” said Dinesh Vazirani, CEO and co-founder, Saffronart.TOI had reported on June 5 that fans of Souza’s artworks will have the rare opportunity to acquire archival material from his studio at the Saffronart’s Summer Online Auction this month.A dedicated section featuring works on paper and personal effects from his private studio attracted spirited bidding throughout the sale and collectively realised Rs 1.3 crore.His easel and two drawing boards were sold for Rs 29.3 lakh, 52 times its higher estimate while three artist’s palettes and his painting smock realised Rs 56.4 lakh, 100 times its higher estimate. The artist’s projector sold for Rs 36.1 lakh, 64 times its higher estimate.“The enthusiastic response reflects collectors’ interest in material that offers a rare and intimate connection to one of the most influential figures of Indian modernism,” he said.Among other highlights of the sale were Manjit Bawa’s Untitled (Radha), which sold for Rs 18 crore and M F Husain’s Two Women, circa 1950s, which realised Rs 12.4 crore, both twice its higher estimate.
