Mughal-era miniature by Basawan sets record for classical Indian art, fetching ₹119.49 crore
Christie's London auction achieved a world record for a Classical Indian painting, selling for £10.2 million. The event showcased 95 works from the Princely collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan, totaling GBP 45.76 million and attracting bidders from 20 nations.
A miniature painting has set a new world record for the most expensive classical Indian artwork. The piece, attributed to Basawan, one of Mughal emperor Akbar's favourite artists, sold at Christie's London auction on 28 October.
The painting depicts a family of cheetahs. They recline on a patch of lush grass in a rocky landscape. A babbling stream tumbles toward the lower left. A large, twisted-trunk tree grows strikingly at the upper left, providing the cheetahs with shade. The male cheetah observes contentedly while the female suckles one cub and cleans another.
Painting Fetches 14 Times Original Estimate
The artwork, titled “A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape” (circa 1575–80), sold for £10,245,000 (approximately ₹119.49 crore). This price was a staggering 14 times greater than its original estimate. The piece came from Christie's auction of “Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince & Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan”.
This “highly important work” in the history of early Mughal art nearly beat the all-time record for an Indian painting. That record is currently held by MF Husain's 1954 Untitled (Gram Yatra), which sold for $13.75 million at a Christie’s New York auction in March.
According to the accompanying lot essay, this study of a family of cheetahs is hailed as “one of the most outstanding and unforgettable early Mughal paintings”.
“Exquisitely observed and rendered with an evocative and highly expressive naturalism, it has been firmly attributed by many leading scholars to the great Akbar-period master Basawan, one of the emperor’s favourite artists,” it reads.
“The results of the auction of Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan illustrate the enduring appeal of works of art of this calibre with such notable provenance, many of which are regarded as 'icons' in the field of Indian and Persian painting,” Christie's said.
“The public viewing of the collection was extremely well attended, and the energy and enthusiasm in the auction room is reflected in the outstanding prices achieved, including a world auction record for a Classical Indian or Islamic painting. This is a landmark moment for the market for Indian and Islamic art, and is a testament to the discerning eye of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan,” Sara Plumbly, Christie's head of Islamic and Indian Art, said in a statement.
The Christie's London auction featured 95 works from the Princely collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan, including pieces from the Indian, Persian, and Ottoman schools by celebrated artists such as Dust Muhammad, Basawan, Ghulam Ali Khan, Bishan Singh, Reza Abbasi, and Levni. It also included paintings from seminal collections such as the St Petersburg Muraqqa', the Fraser Album, and the Polier albums.
The sale was a complete sell-out, achieving a total of GBP 45,760,485 (approximately ₹533.79 crore). The event drew registered bidders from 20 different nations spanning four continents.