25 rare MF Husain paintings to be auctioned in Mumbai

Twenty-five rare paintings by the late Indian modernist Maqbool Fida Husain, offering his sweeping perspective on the 20th century, are set to go under the hammer on June 12 in Mumbai. 

Titled "MF Husain: An Artist's Vision of the XX Century", the auction will be hosted at Hamilton House by a prominent auction house, marking the first time these works will be publicly exhibited in India.

The Indian Express reported that these paintings—part of a larger, unfinished series of 100 works conceived by Husain under the acronym OPCE (Our Planet Called Earth)—had only been seen briefly abroad after their completion in 2004. They were first showcased at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and later at the Pierre Cardin Centre in Paris, before being acquired by businessman and art collector Swarup Srivastava.

Photo: Collected

"In these paintings, Husain invokes World War I and World War II, extols the triumphs of aviation, presents nature as the counterpoint to settlement, sings a paean to the race for space, delights in the cinema, and dwells on many memorable leitmotifs of the 20th century," said cultural theorist and curator Ranjit Hoskote in the official auction catalogue.

Among the diverse themes depicted are Husain's iconic horses, and portraits of prominent 20th-century figures including actor Humphrey Bogart, filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, mime artist Marcel Marceau, and Mahatma Gandhi.

The upcoming auction follows a landmark moment for Indian art earlier this year, when an untitled painting by Husain fetched a record-breaking $13.8 million at Christie's in New York—making it the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction.

Photo: Collected

However, the history of the 25 paintings has been complicated by legal battles. In 2006, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a probe into Srivastava and the Swarup Group for allegedly diverting Rs 150 crore from a Rs 235-crore loan obtained from the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation (NAFED). A tribunal in December 2008 permitted NAFED to secure assets worth Rs 104.25 crore, including the Husain paintings.

As legal proceedings unfolded, the Bombay High Court appointed Pundole's gallery to appraise the artworks. On May 2, 2024, art expert Dadiba Pundole submitted a valuation report, estimating the paintings at Rs 25 crore.

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The upcoming auction is expected to draw strong interest from collectors and institutions alike, not only for the rarity of the works but also for their historical and cultural significance.