Maqbool Fida Husain’s monumental painting Untitled (Gram Yatra) sold for an astonishing $13.7 million at a Christie’s auction in New York on 19 March. The sale, which nearly quadrupled the work’s estimated value of $3.5 million, marks a significant milestone for both the South Asian art market and Indian art as a whole. Of the five bidders who took part in the auction, the winning bid was placed by an anonymous institution.
Not only did this sale set a new record for Husain, but it also surpassed the previous highest price for an Indian artwork—Amrita Sher-Gil’s The Storyteller (1937)—which sold for $3.2 million at Saffronart in Mumbai in 2023.
Untitled (Gram Yatra), comprising 13 panels and spanning over four metres, was created in 1954, a period of profound political and social transformation in India following independence from Britain. The painting portrays the pastoral life of a nation in transition, drawing inspiration from Indian artistic traditions as well as international influences such as Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and Chinese calligraphy.
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Previously known as The Volodarsky Husain after its former owner, Ukrainian-born physician Leon Elias Volodarsky, the painting remained hidden from public view for most of its existence. Volodarsky, who studied in India and later worked as a doctor in Norway, purchased the piece directly from Husain during a visit to Delhi in 1954. Following his death in 1964, the work was bequeathed to Oslo University Hospital, where it was stored in a private corridor and never publicly displayed.
The Christie’s sale has now brought this remarkable painting into the public eye, leaving a lasting impact on the global art market.
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Maqbool Fida Husain (1915–2011) was one of India’s most influential modern artists. Renowned for his vivid depictions of Indian life and his bold, innovative style, he was a founding member of the Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947, which sought to merge Indian themes with European modernism. Despite his international influences, Husain remained deeply connected to his roots, once declaring: ‘I am an Indian artist. I will remain so till my last breath.’
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Proceeds from the sale will go to Oslo University Hospital to fund the establishment of a neurosurgical training centre. The centre will provide training for doctors from both Norway and Ukraine, serving as a fitting tribute to Volodarsky’s dedication to both medicine and art.
As the most expensive artwork sold at auction in 2025 so far, the sale of Untitled (Gram Yatra) underscores the growing global interest in South Asian art and reaffirms Husain’s legacy as one of the most significant figures in modern Indian history.
