Last week we noted how while the Mumbai group of artists topped the bulk sales, it was the group of artists who broke new ground in Bengal that still got the highest prices per sq cm. Based on it, one can project a picture of which artists of present day Bengal are likely to be a good investment for the collector.

Ganesh Pyne is already there in the top five in per sq cm terms. In fact, at the Saffronart Winter online auction, there is an excellent work of his entitled Swim (lot 105), a tempera on canvas (66 cm x 55.9), which is expected to sell at Rs 17.60-22 lakh, working out to Rs 477.04-542.09 per sq cm. A mixed media work, which appears to be a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore (lot 104), is slated to sell at Rs 2.75-3.25 lakh. The tempera work ought definitely to sell at close to the top price.

Apart from Pyne, there is a work of Jogen Choudhury (lot 117), a mixed media on canvas (86.4 cm x 111.8 cm), Women Under A Quilt, which is priced at Rs 15-18 lakh that works out to Rs 155.29-186.35 per sq cm. There is a Bikash Bhattacharjee oil on canvas (lot 129), 116.8 cm by 116.8 cm, which is expected to sell at Rs 10-12 lakh, working out to Rs 73.30-89.14 per sq cm. Then there is a work of Shakti Barman (lot 93), an oil on canvas (55.9 cm x 45.7 cm), which is expected to sell at Rs 6-7 lakh, working out to Rs 234.86-274.01 per sq cm. Then there are two bronze sculptures of Meera Mukherjee (lot 31,32) ? a standing woman and a man applying a stethoscope to a miniature-like figure ? both expected to fetch between Rs 2-2 and Rs 50 lakh. They ought to be snapped up.

Among the younger artists who have evolved as known figures, there is an oil on canvas by Paresh Maity (lot 176; 105.4 cm x 212.1 cm), which is expected to sell at Rs 8-9 lakh. Another two works by Chittrovanu Majumdar up for sale are acrylics on canvas (lots 146 and 147), which are expected to sell at Rs 10-19.80 lakh. These represent the major attractions for collectors and investors today. To these one can add the names of Ganesh Haloi, Jamini Roy, Paritosh Sen, Sunil Das, Dharma Narayan Das Gupta, Biren De and Bijon Choudhury. Among the younger artists one can add the names of Adity Basak Chandra Bhattacharya and Subrata Saha showing at Delhi?s Art Pilgrim from December 18.