AstaGuru is set to host Masters Legacy, a landmark auction dedicated to the pioneers and torchbearers of Modern Indian art. Scheduled for March 10-11, 2026, the sale brings together an exceptional selection of works by some of the most influential artists who shaped India’s modern visual language.
Rare Works by Leading Artists
At the heart of the auction are rare and important works by icons such as M F Husain, S H Raza, F N Souza, Krishen Khanna, Nandalal Bose, Bikash Bhattacharjee and G R Santosh, each representing distinct stylistic evolutions from lyrical abstraction and metaphysical geometry to social realism and sculptural experimentation. Extending the narrative into the late twentieth century and beyond, Masters Legacy also spotlights important works by practitioners such as Prabhakar Kolte, Akkitham Narayanan, and Shail Choyal. Their works underscore the enduring impact of modernist thought while articulating fresh formal and conceptual concerns. The auction also includes sculptural works by important artists, including Ramkinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, Himmat Shah. Three paper works by artist V S Gaitonde are also featured in the upcoming auction.
Event in a Glance
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Auction Title | Masters Legacy |
| Organizer | AstaGuru Auction House |
| Dates | March 10–11, 2026 |
| Category | Modern Indian Art Auction |
| Featured Artists | M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, F. N. Souza, Krishen Khanna, Nandalal Bose, Bikash Bhattacharjee, G. R. Santosh |
| Additional Artists | Prabhakar Kolte, Akkitham Narayanan, Shail Choyal |
| Sculptural Works By | Ramkinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, Himmat Shah |
| Special Works | Three works on paper by V. S. Gaitonde |
| Catalogue | Available at www.astaguru.com |
Curatorial Vision Behind the Auction
Commenting on the significance of the upcoming sale, Mr. Manoj Mansukhani, Director, Marketing, AstaGuru, remarked, “Carefully curated, the auction traces the arc of Indian art from the nationalist revivalism of the early twentieth century to the bold experimentation of the Progressive era and the contemplative abstractions that followed. Together, these works embody a legacy of innovation, intellectual rigour, and artistic courage.” He further adds, “With a focus on quality, rarity, and provenance, Masters Legacy presents collectors and connoisseurs with an opportunity to acquire works that are not only aesthetically significant but also historically pivotal. It reaffirms AstaGuru’s continued commitment to presenting art that defines and enriches the canon of Modern Indian art.”
Highlight Lot: Bikash Bhattacharjee’s Untitled Works
Appearing in the auction is Lot No. 27, an ‘Untitled’ by Bikash Bhattacharjee,a set of three works that presents women and children, two recurring protagonists in his oeuvre. They are seen on a balcony that opens onto a dreamlike, almost unanchored natural landscape. The architectural setting recalls the decaying aristocratic mansions of Bengal, which the artist was known to observe at length, absorbing their quiet desolation and translating it into his pictorial language.
Raza’s ‘Kundalini’ and the Bindu Philosophy
Another lot that equally leads this auction is Lot No. 35, Titled as ‘Kundalini’, it belongs to Raza’s late engagement with the bindu, a phase in which the motif is no longer static but suggestive of movement and awakening. The work reflects the artist’s enduring commitment to abstraction as a means of accessing universal truths, synthesising modernist form with indigenous philosophy. In Raza’s bindu paintings, geometry becomes meditation, and the act of seeing becomes an inward journey. Colour plays an equally crucial role in this language. Raza’s high-chroma reds, blacks, blues, and yellows are invested with elemental resonance, intensifying the spiritual charge of the composition. Applied with deliberation and restraint, these hues transform the canvas into a site of concentrated energy rather than an expressive gesture.
Husain’s Dynamic Horse Motif
Lot No. 49 titled ‘Untitled (Horses)’ by M F Husain, presents a charged and emblematic variation of his horse motif, where colour, symbol, and movement converge with striking immediacy. Two horses dominate the composition, their bodies rendered in fiery reds and acidic yellows, locked into a tense diagonal thrust across the surface. Husain fractures their anatomy into jagged planes outlined with thick black contours, heightening the sense of urgency and physical strain. The open mouths, wide eyes, and sharply angled limbs suggest not grace but exertion and confrontation, as though the animals are locked in a moment of relentless forward drive. The background showcases stormy blues and greys, swirling above an earthen brown ground, creating a dramatic contrast. This turbulent setting amplifies the psychological intensity of the scene, transforming the space into an arena of conflict rather than a natural landscape.
Souza’s Vision of Urban Turbulence
Lot No. 29 by F N Souza titled ‘Garden City’, conjures a turbulent vision of urban life pushed to the brink, shaped by Souza’s deeply sceptical view of modern civilisation. Painted during a personally and historically fraught decade of the sixties, the work transforms the idea of a city into a site of moral and existential collapse rather than order or growth. The garden here is anything but pastoral; instead, it is a charged terrain where human ambition and spiritual failure. Souza’s handling of paint is central to the work’s psychological force. Thick impastos and urgent, slashing brushstrokes charge the surface with kinetic energy. Colour is deployed abrasively— greens, searing reds, inky blacks, and electric blues collide without harmony. The result is a chaotic accumulation of houses, structures, and vegetal forms that appear to lurch and scatter.
Key Highlights of the Auction
Some of the notable aspects of the Masters Legacy sale include:
- Works by major modernists such as M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and F. N. Souza
- Sculptures by Ramkinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, and Himmat Shah
- Rare works on paper by V. S. Gaitonde
-
Important paintings representing diverse modernist movements in India
Collectors and art enthusiasts can explore the complete list of works through www.astaguru.com
Takeaway
With its focus on historically important works and influential artists, Masters Legacy offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of modern Indian art across several decades. By bringing together paintings and sculptures that reflect key artistic movements, the auction highlights the enduring influence of modernist ideas and the artists who shaped India’s visual culture.
