A gouache on paper by F N Souza has just rewritten the record books. "Hanuman the Monkey God" fetched Rs 15.60 crore at Saffronart's Live Autumn Auction in New Delhi on September 19, making it the most valuable work on paper by the artist ever sold at auction anywhere in the world.
The piece belongs to a lesser-known chapter of Souza's career, namely his collaboration with Mohan Sharma, a painter who came up through a family of Nathdwara artists. Souza would set the subject and lend his unmistakable linework, while Sharma brought the technique of painted gouache to a series of small-scale works on paper. The result, as Saffronart's auction catalogue puts it, is an image of striking finesse: a rigid, elongated figure with antennae-like eyes and a strychnine grin, its rounded head lines sitting in sharp contrast to the geometric patterning across the face and torso. The catalogue also points out how this quieter, more intricate register sits against the artist's Black on Black paintings of the same period — those thick, Expressionist works built from impasto and restless line.
Souza's record wasn't the only one set that evening. M V Dhurandhar's 1899 painting "Shri Mahalakshmi" sold for Rs 14.10 crore, the highest price ever paid for the artist's work at auction. A Ramachandran's "Kurma Avatar with Savita and Aparajita Flowers" (1996) went for Rs 8.64 crore, G Ravinder Reddy's Untitled sculpture from 2011-12 made Rs 4.68 crore, and Jangarh Singh Shyam's "Bel Mukhota" (1999) closed at Rs 2.88 crore — each a new high for the respective artist.
Across the board, the Autumn Auctions delivered what's called a white glove sale — every single one of the 200 lots on offer found a buyer, bringing in a combined Rs 250.58 crore. The live evening sale alone accounted for Rs 218.62 crore, while the online leg, which ran from 21 to 22 September, added a further Rs 31.97 crore.
The online sale had its own moments worth noting. An untitled 1978 work by Jagdish Swaminathan sold for Rs 4.20 crore — more than double its high estimate. S H Raza's "Radiations" (1998) went for Rs 1.56 crore, a 16th-century bronze of "Standing Sridevi" from the Vijayanagara Dynasty made Rs 78 lakh, and an untitled work by A A Almelkar sold for Rs 60 lakh.
Speaking after the results came in, Saffronart's CEO and co-founder Dinesh Vazirani said the numbers reflected the momentum the market has carried through 2026, adding that the house remains focused on bringing significant works to collectors worldwide as the market continues to grow.
With inputs from PTI.