The inimitable Kishore Singh points out the rising prominence of Vasudeo Gaitonde, the Indian artist who is a peer of MF Husain. In the context of Zao Wou-ki, Gaitonde has a potential appeal to Chinese collectors as well as long-standing position as a global pioneer of “abstract” art. None less than John D. Rockefeller III was an early buyer of his work. Painting No. 1 is being auction by Sotheby’s today. Meanwhile, big things are in store for the artist to back up the momentum of strong and frequently repeated sales:

A 1962 work, Painting No. 4, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. And now, the Guggenheim is putting together a retrospective on the artist in 2014 for which curator Sandhini Poddar is sourcing works from collectors in America, Europe and, of course, India. Intended to open in November, it is hoped the exhibition will travel to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and, if we get lucky, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.

Update: At Sotheby’s London sale of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art today, the work was sold for above the high estimate for £698,500 premium. That’s just above $1m which makes it the third most valuable price for a Gaitonde.

Global Gaitonde (Business Standard)