One can find evidence of Christian iconography as a theme of Indian art from the time of the Mughal era. When it comes to Modern Indian Art, the Bengal School in the early 20th century witnessed the integration of Biblical themes by artists such as Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, and also famously Jamini Roy. The artists of independent India continued to depict Christian themes in their art. The two upcoming auctions by AstaGuru will present such works by three eminent modern artists of India– F. N. Souza, Krishen Khanna, and Anjolie Ela Menon. Influenced since childhood by the work of master painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, these artists have rendered Christian mythology in their own inimitable style.

One of the most influential modern artists of India, F. N. Souza experimented with many genres and styles of painting through the course of his six-decade long career. Born in the Catholic culture of Goa, Souza spent his early childhood in and around churches which had a deep influence on him. Depicting Biblical episodes through his distinct abstracted aesthetic, Souza created works that were both shocking and mesmerising.

Lot no. 133 in the upcoming Collectors Choice auction is a monochrome oil on paper work executed in the year 1985. The work depicts the crucifixion of Christ with two figures which are commonly seen in F. N. Souza’s work. This work was published in the book ‘Francis Newton Souza : Dhoomimal Gallery Collection’, by Dhoomimal Gallery, Delhi, in 2009.

The Biblical theme is an important subject in Krishen Khanna’s oeuvre. It began when his father gifted him a reproduced illustration of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper when he was a young boy. On seeing the work, he remained engrossed in his attempts to sketch the image. The inclination to capture the rich and varied use of Christian imagery in his works is indeed seminal in nature.

An important Biblical theme work by artist Krishen Khanna titled ‘Emmaus’ will be appearing in the ‘Masters Legacy’ Modern Indian Art auction.

Lot no. 20 depicts the incident that took place in the evening when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. When a couple of disciples, namely Cleopas and another, who remains anonymous, got to know that the tomb of Jesus was found empty, they were busy discussing the events of the past few days. As they walked they encountered a stranger who asked them about the topic of their conversation, the group eventually settled to share a meal at Emmaus.

The encounter between Jesus and the two disciples, and the subsequent meal they share in Emmaus has been a popular subject of several artworks. In his interpretation of the event, the artist presents Christ here without his divinity to illustrate the catastrophes he faced in his human form.

With a career that spans six decades and multiple genres, Anjolie Ela Menon is one of the most renowned artists in India. Initially studying at the J J School of Arts, she moved to Europe in 1959 to study at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Art in Paris. During her stay, she travelled extensively in Europe exploring Romanesque and Byzantine art which exposed her to the techniques of mediaeval Christian iconography. It was during this period that she began to experiment with oils on masonite, which led her to produce some of the most well-known works executed with translucent layers of paint that are burnished to a soft glow. Her early works reflect the distinctive features of early Christian art with a specific focus on the female nude. A dynamic relationship between eroticism and melancholy began to emerge in her work as it evolved overtime.

Three works by the artist will appear in AstaGuru’s upcoming auctions.

Lot no. 14 is an artwork by Menon titled ‘Pieta’ which will appear in the upcoming ‘Masters Lecagy’ auction. In the work, the artist recreates the moment when Jesus was taken down from the cross but instead of Mother Mary, she shows him resting in Mother Teresa’s arms. She deftly captures the protagonists in her distinct figurative style and revisits a theme which has been worked upon by artists over the centuries. The presented lot was published in the book ‘Anjolie Ela Menon : Through the Patina’ by Vadehra Art Gallery, Delhi.

Three more works on the theme by the artist will be presented in the upcoming ‘Collectors Choice’ auction.

Lot no. 67 is a work from the year 2005 is titled ‘Mariam’ and depicts Mother Mary. The work was showcased and published in one of the artist’s exhibition titled ‘A Solo Show - Anjolie Ela Menon’ at Art Musings,

Lot no. 86 in an untitled work depicting Madonna and Child which has been a recurring theme in the artist's work. The work was executed in the year 2018.

Lot no. 160 is an untitled ( Found Object) work by the artist executed on acrylic on fibreglass with wood framing. Anjolie Ela Menon has time and again reinvented her artistic persona. These deliberate interventions propelled her to emerge as one of India's leading artists. She integrates traits of early Christian art; her pieces have an influx of the frontal perspective and averted head postures.

Several other eminent artists of Indian Modern Art have pursued Biblical themes in their art. These artists include M.F. Husain, K.H. Ara, S.H. Raza, Tyeb Mehta, K.K. Hebbar and Jehangir Sabavala created their own versions of important Christian themes.

Works from all these artists will showcase our upcoming ‘Masters Legacy’ and 'Collectors Choice' auctions, slated to be held on April 29-30, and May 2-3, 2022. The auctions unveils the Avant-Garde of Modern Indian Art and features a remarkable selection of several rare and unseen works by eminent modern masters.