25 rare paintings by Indian artist M. F, Husain will be auctioned on June 12 at Hamilton House, Ballard Estate, South Mumbai. Titled ‘M F Husain: An Artist’s Vision of the XX Century’, the artworks belong to his Our Planet Called Earth (OPCE) series. After being held in a private bank’s vaults for nearly two decades, the paintings featuring themes from World Wars to space exploration, and portraits of Gandhi, and Charlie Chaplin and more, have been valued at ₹25 crore.
Unfinished project resurfaces for auction
In 2004, M F Husain sold 25 paintings to Mumbai-based businessman Swarup Srivastava as the first instalment of a ₹100-crore deal for 100 artworks. The paintings were briefly exhibited in Dubai and Paris, but the full series was never completed. Husain passed away in London in 2011, leaving the project unfinished. The 25 works were later secured by NAFED.
Preview & auction at Hamilton House
Perched in a quiet lane of Ballard Estate, 94-year-old Hamilton House carries the grandeur of a bygone era. Once a backdrop for portraits of royalty and nobility, from Lord Brabourne and Lord Willingdon to the Maharajas of Udaipur and Jodhpur, it now prepares to host a fitting tribute to another icon: M F Husain.
As per reports, a public preview will run from June 8 to 11 at the auction venue. This will also mark the first public display of these works in India since their creation. You can explore and bid on works from “Our Planet Called Earth (OPCE)” series, going under the hammer on June 12 via Pundole’s official auction platform.
