Raja Ravi Varma painting ₹167.2cr sets modern Indian art record
Raja Ravi Varma's famous painting Yashoda and Krishna smashed records at a Saffronart auction, selling for a whopping ₹167.2 crore (about $18 million).
That's the highest price ever paid for modern Indian art, beating last year's record set by MF Husain.
The buyer, Cyrus S Poonawalla, says he wants to make sure this national treasure is accessible to everyone.
Varma's 1890s work exceeds ₹120cr estimate
Painted in the 1890s, Yashoda and Krishna captures maternal love through mythological figures, a style Varma was known for mixing with European art techniques.
The piece was expected to fetch up to ₹120 crore but soared past that mark.
Saffronart's Minal Vazirani called it a defining moment, pointing out how Indian art is making waves globally after back-to-back record-breaking sales.