According to AstaGuru, modern Indian art remains the proverbial jewel in the crown for art collectors with consistent demand for works by masters. The artworks curated in this auction take one through the realms of each of the masters' individual artistic journeys.

Rare works by leading Indian modernists including M F Husain, Ram Kumar, and F N Souza will go under the hammer at AstaGuru’s upcoming online sale on June 25-26, the auction house said in a statement.

Over 50 per cent of the 120 works that will be part of the “Collector Choice – A Curated Presentation of Rare Modern Indian works” will be making their auction debut, it added.

Highlights of the auction include Ivory Eyes (1976), an enamel on canvas work, by Prabhakar Barwe, which is also the cover lot of the auction catalogue.

Estimated at Rs 20 – 30 lakh, Barwe’s paintings emerged from the perfect conjunction of form, space and mystery, hereby creating a new pictorial association.

A symbolist abstractionist from the JJ School of Art, Barwe’s paintings reflect the voyage he undertook in search for pictorial purity and balance, the auction house said.

The sale will also feature two works by M F Husain.

The first is a 1990 untitled large acrylic on paper work that was part of his ‘Calcutta series’, pays homage to one of his favourite cities, Kolkata, and demonstrates his love and bond with the city.

Estimated at Rs 20 – 30 lakh, the artwork is borne out of Husain’s admiration for the people of Kolkata, their inclination and ability to appreciate art.

Another prominent work by Husain that marks its presence in an auction for the first time is a rare set of four untitled works of watercolour on mount board. The set is accompanied by another set of four limited edition posters (1985), which are based on the presented artworks, AstaGuru said.

The artwork was acquired from the collection of a prominent collector from Kolkata who sourced these unique works directly from the artist. According to AstaGuru, modern Indian art remains the proverbial jewel in the crown for art collectors with consistent demand for works by masters.