A virtual auction of The Atul Bose Estate hosted by Prinseps

As we enter the last month of quite an adventurous year, Prinseps, a research-focused auction house witnessed quite a cheer in context to Indian art and it’s legendary artists. Founded by Indrajit Chatterjee in 2017, Prinseps has hosted numerous auctions to date.

From being entrusted with artworks from the estate of Rathindranath Tagore to specialising in offering rare collectables such as antiquarian books and premium Art Deco furniture, Prinsesps has embarked upon a journey to become a holistic institution for Indian art.

The house has hosted successful auctions of reputed Indian artists and aims to foster research, curation, and further discovery within the Indian art sphere.

Closing this year with a noteworthy act, Prinsesps took the auction world online and hosted the first-ever virtual auction, which said to have received a spectacular response.

Prinseps was honoured to have hosted the auction of Atul Bose Estate which introduced everyone into the world of one of the greatest Bengali artist.

Atul Bose, renowned as one of the Bengali greats who alongside Hemendranath Majumdar and Jamini Roy spearheaded a new naturalism in Indian art and founded the Society of Fine Arts in 1920.

Prinsep’s auctions presented sixty lots split across two sales making up the entirety of the Atul Bose estate. The works presented an overview of the artist’s career - from sketches, studies, portraits and landscapes.

The house received an overwhelming acknowledgement as it beautifully captured and reflected the essence of Indian art. The star of the evening was a painting titled Studio Corner, a 1926 oil on canvas, which went under the hammer at ₹ 43,75,000, almost 20 lakhs over the upper estimate. Other noteworthy sales included a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore (1976) which sold for ₹27,50,000. This artwork had been a gift from the artist to Bengal’s first Governor after Independence, hence carrying a strong legacy with it. An oil on, canvas painting titled Sphinx (1926), which went under the hammer at ₹17,50,000.

What we witness through this auction is a triumphant implementation backed by thorough research on Indian art and it’s less spoken cultural era. It is hopeful that such auctions would revive, instil modernistic approach and bring to life the long-forgotten concepts of India art.