Painted on isorel, the present lot represents Padamsee\'s conception of contemporary Indian art, inspired by the canons of classical Indian statuary, that of the temples, whose forms he renews, breathing life into them by humanising them: their gazes absorbed in themselves; he hybridises budding branches with the arms of a woman painted in orange tones with gently voluptuous forms who, like a nymph, is metamorphosing and linked to the immemorial themes of nature, abundance and fertility. We can already sense the association he would make between a female nude and nature.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Cityscape (1959), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2003 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹27,43,811 ($59,726). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2012, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Cityscape (1959), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 21 March 2012 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹6,65,05,156 ($1,314,500). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2016, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Greek Landscape (1960), offered in the Evening Sale: Live Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 08 September 2016 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹19,19,00,000 ($2,887,960). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

The subject matter is chosen to allow possibility of using colour, “ Padamsee says”, but there must be something uncanny there. Unless it is a disquieting, uncanny landscape I would reject it,” This preoccupation with “disquieting feeling” links various phases of Padamsee’s landscape painting, though at first sight they appear to vary greatly in the formal means used. For instance, the sun and moon flood the cityscapes of the Horizon paintings with an unearthly ligHe. This gives the paintings a quality of an hallucination, despite what appears to be the reassuring warmth of sumptuous colour. A tension between colour and colour creates planar movement, absence of the complementary creates expectation leading the mind into a quest of the imagination.

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Head (1965), offered in the Southeast Asian And 20th Century Indian Pictures by Christie's, which concluded on 25 April 2004 at Hong Kong, achieving a sale price of ₹30,45,905 ($68,943). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 1998, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Metascape (1972), offered in the Twentieth Century Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 02 June 1998 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹10,61,367 ($25,443). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

The landscape has no boundaries

In 1996, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Red Landscape (1977), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred Years by Sotheby's, which concluded on 08 October 1996 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹5,84,220 ($16,408.37). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

On 20 December 1987, Akbar Padamsee made their debut in the Indian public auction market when Woman was presented as Lot 22 in Contemporary Indian Art (Charity Auction), conducted by Christie's in Mumbai, India. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1992), offered in the Modern Indian Paintings: Winter Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 02 December 2004 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹29,99,250 ($67,826). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Nude (1993), offered in the Southeast Asian and 20th Century Indian Pictures by Christie's, which concluded on 06 July 2003 at Hong Kong, achieving a sale price of ₹12,69,051 ($27,421). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.