Kolkata: Ramkinkar Baij’s seminal cement cast sculpture, “Father & Son”, fetched over Rs 6 crore at an auction — more than four times its upper estimate. Offered at a valuation of Rs 1 crore-Rs 1.5 crore during the AstaGuru Masters Legacy sale in March, the work’s dramatic ascent reflects an intensifying demand for one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture. The sale reflects increasing demand for Baij’s work and underscores the market value of his smaller-scale cement sculptures alongside his monumental public installations in Santiniketan.The sculpture, an 18 x 17 x 14 inch cement cast, is an example of Baij’s use of non-traditional materials to capture the rhythmic vitality of his subjects. According to its provenance in the AstaGuru Masters Legacy (March 2026) catalogue, this work was formerly part of a private collection in New Delhi and was originally acquired from a friend of the artist. Its historical importance is documented in several publications: it is featured in the “Ramkinkar Baij Centenary Exhibition (2006-07)” catalogue and discussed by A Ramachandran in “Ramkinkar: The Man and The Artist”. Somendranath Bandyopadhyay also provides an account of the artist’s mindset in “My Days with Ramkinkar Baij”, where Baij describes art not as a “soulless copy” of nature, but as an internal manifestation of discovery, a philosophy reflected in the surfaces of “Father & Son”.Sunny Chandiramani, director, client relations, AstaGuru Auction House, told TOI that achieving such a remarkable result emphasizes the extraordinary value collectors place on Baij’s vision and legacy. “Equally notable is the work’s rarity; it is believed to have been exhibited only once and occupies an important place within a group of subjects Baij envisioned as monumental outdoor sculptures. The result reflects the growing recognition of his pioneering contribution and the deep appreciation among seasoned collectors for works that embody the spirit of experimentation and humanism that defined his practice. At a time when important sculptures by Baij rarely appear at auction, this sale reaffirms both the enduring relevance of his artistic language and the continued elevation of his legacy within the broader canon of Modern Indian Art,” Chandiramani said.
