One of earlier works of the famous Indian painter Sayed Haidar Raza, ‘Ville Provenҫale’ is coming up for sale at Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Sale in New York on 19 March 2018.Hidden from public view for years, Ville Provenҫale is one of the greatest and largest works by Indian artist Sayed Haider Raza to ever appear on the market. This painting was made in 1956 while Raza was living in France, which was an incredibly formative period for the artist. Distinguished by its vivid colours, this seminal work displays a semi-abstracted view of a town in rural Provence.
Raza was amongst only 5 artists to represent India at the Venice Biennale, where Ville Provençale was displayed in 1956, before it was secreted away into private collections for many decades. A testament to the enduring legacy of one of the foremost pioneers of Indian Modern Art, Ville Provenҫalewill be offered as the star lot of Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Sale in New York. The work will be exhibited as part of a travelling exhibition of highlights from the sale at The Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi from 22-23 February.
Raza’s works are coveted by art collectors, and is one of India’s priciest modern artists. In June 2010, during his lifetime, his seminal work ‘Saurashtra’ fetched a price of $3,486,965 at a Christie’s auction.
