Carol Vogel’s column records the upcoming sale at Sotheby’s of an SH Raza painting once owned by John Rockefeller III:

Mrs. Rockefeller bought “Village With Church” at the Graham Gallery in New York in 1959, and it remained in the family until 1994, when it was sold to an unidentified collector at auction for $4,025, according to Christie’s. That buyer made a savvy investment: The semi-abstract landscape, with a dark blue-black background punctuated by strong reds, whites and yellows — painted while the artist was living in Europe, where he was heavily influenced by Modern masters like Cézanne and van Gogh — is expected to fetch $1.5 million to $2.5 million at Sotheby’s auction.

“The Rockefellers spent much time in India and were passionate about promoting Indian art in America,” said Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby’s vice chairman for Asian art, “So the painting does have a certain historical significance.”

Inside Art: The Rockefeller Raza (New York Times)