Indian painting sets auction record, fetches nearly $18 million.

The painting "Yashoda and Krishna" showcases masterful oil painting skills and a naturalistic depiction of Indian deities, making it the most expensive modern Indian artwork ever sold.

On April 1st, an oil painting by 19th-century Indian master Raja Ravi Varma sold for a record-breaking $17.9 million at an auction in Mumbai, becoming the most expensive modern Indian artwork ever sold.

According to Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart, the painting “Yashoda and Krishna,” depicting the god Krishna alongside his mother Yashoda while she milks a cow, is the highest-priced painting ever sold at international auction. This price far exceeded initial estimates of between $8.6 million and $12.9 million.

According to Saffronart, this is "the most valuable work by an Indian artist ever sold at auction globally."

The Times of India reported that the buyer was businessman and vaccine billionaire Cyrus Poonawala. He said the painting was a "national treasure" and that he would strive to make it possible for the public to admire it periodically.

The renowned painter Raja Ravi Varma, born in 1848, is famous for combining European painting techniques with traditional Indian themes and stories.

According to Saffronart, created in the 1890s—the peak of his career— "Yashoda and Krishna" is one of his finest works, showcasing his masterful oil painting skills and natural depiction of Indian deities, contributing to shaping modern understandings of the nation's sacred narratives.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/buc-hoa-an-do-lap-ky-luc-dau-gia-gan-18-trieu-usd-post1102602.vnp