'Falling Figure' tops Saffronart sale

Mehta's canvas is one of the most important paintings from his suite of falling figures and the artist draws on both Indian and Western myths and legends

In the 2011 Autumn Art Auction, Tyeb Mehta's "Untitled" was the top lot and sold for Rs 7,19,90,000.

This year, Amrita Sher-Gil's 1931 "Untitled (Zebegeny Landscape)" canvas is estimated between Rs 3,24,00,000 to Rs 4,32,00,000. It is one of only five paintings by the artist to have ever come up for public auction.

Of the artist's 172 documented paintings, 95 are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi while two other paintings are in institutional collections in Chandigarh and Lahore.

The 2012 Saffronart autum auction has 75 lots by 35 modern and contemporary Indian artists with a total estimate of Rs 21.78 crore to Rs 28.6 crore.

"Assembled with an eye for the very finest of modern and contemporary Indian art, this auction includes a remarkable collection of works. Not only does the catalogue

offer collectors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire a painting by Amrita Sher-Gil, it also includes vital works by other artists," says Dinesh Vazirani, CEO Saffronart

A work by Arpita Singh, whose monumental painting "Wish Dream" fetched an record USD 2.24 million in Saffronart's 2010 Winter Art Auction making it the

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