Sotheby's to launch India auctions with Tyeb Mehta's 'Durga Mahisasura Mardini'

The London-based auction house Sotheby's is all set to launch sales in India this December and Mumbai will be established as its new selling point.

Sotheby’s opened its Mumbai office in 2016 and since, Indian collectors have made their mark in its global auctions.

"Given these promising signs, and the projected economic growth for India in the future, it is the right time for Sotheby's to further expand the services we offer our clients in the region, and to bring our auctions directly to the doorstep of the many collectors who live there," said Jan Prasens, Sotheby's managing director for Europe, Middle East, Russia and India.

The launch will be marked by "Boundless: Mumbai", a sale featuring South Asia's greatest artists, as well as artworks by Western artists inspired and influenced by the art, culture, geography and people of South Asia. It will be led by Tyeb Mehta's seminal work "Durga Mahisasura Mardini". Commissioned directly from the artist in 1993, the work has remained in a private collection since.

"Tyeb Mehta's 'Durga Mahisasura Mardini' is possibly the most important work in the artist's oeuvre. A symbol of victory of good over evil, this painting celebrates the spirit of India.

"This painting is a prelude to the artist's iconic 'Celebrations' and 'Mahisasura' series, making it amongst the artist's most significant and rarest works," Yamini Mehta, International Head of Indian & South Asian Art at Sotheby's, said.

The painting will appear in the market for the first time later this year.

The launch will also feature variety of categories such as modern and contemporary South Asian art, photography, prints, and design on offer.

The sale, to be held at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, promises to be an opportunity for young and seasoned collectors to acquire museum-quality works.