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republic of indiaconcept:era contemporary

Untitled

Oil on canvas by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1995). A characteristic late-period Gaitonde abstraction: luminous, densely layered fields of warm and cool tone built up through repeated applications of oil, sanding, and glazing. Non-representational and non-referential, the surface rewards close attention through its subtle internal variations. Sold at Christie's Hong Kong in 2015 for HK$35.7 million (~$4.6 million), then the highest price for any Indian artwork at auction.

Scholarly Significance

Signature late Gaitonde abstraction; Christie's Hong Kong 2015 sale (~$4.6M) set the Indian artist auction record and anchors the South Asian market layer.

Notes

  • ·Gaitonde's process: built surfaces through 30–40 layers of oil, sanding between each layer, then final glaze — a technique requiring months per canvas.
  • ·The work is entirely non-referential; Gaitonde explicitly rejected any verbal description or interpretation.
  • ·Christie's Hong Kong 2015: HK$35,720,000 (approximately $4.6M) — Indian auction record at time of sale.
  • ·The sale triggered a reappraisal of Gaitonde's market position and prompted major retrospective scholarship.