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Bhupen P. Khakhar — featured artwork

Introduction

Bhupen Khakhar is one of the pioneers of Indian Pop-Art and a member of the Baroda Group of artists. Being an autodidact, he sought out to combine traditional Indian aesthetics with Indian and Western pop and figurative art. He is, among other things, a reconteur and writer of short stories. In the 1980s he became one of the first artists to openly come out as gay and deal with the issues of homosexuality through his paintings.

Date of Birth
10 Mar 1934
Date of Death
08 Aug 2003
Age
69
Nationality
Indian
Place of Birth
Gulalwadi, Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Place of Death
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Parent(s)
Parmanand Kalidas
State Country of Birth
Maharashtra, India
State Country of Death
Gujarat, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1963

    1. Inaugural Exhibition, Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, India
  2. 1965

    1. Art Now in India, Liang Art Gallery, New Castle, UK
    2. Art Now in India, Royal Festive Hall, London, UK
    3. Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
  3. 1966

    1. Art Now in India, Curated by George Butcher, at London, New Castle & Ghent
  4. 1967

    1. Kunika-Chemould Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
    2. Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    3. Seven Painters, Gallery One, London, UK
  5. 1968

    1. Art Scene Today, Organised by Gallery Chemould, at Sanskar Kendra, Ahmedabad, India
    2. IX Biennale de Sao Paulo, Brazil
    3. 1st International Triennale India, New Delhi, India
    4. Joint exhibition with Helen Marshall and Phillip Martin at, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
  6. 1969

    1. Represented in Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil
    2. Indian Painters'69, Organised by Max Mueller Bhavan, at the Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India
    3. Art Today I & II, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
  7. 1970

    1. Kunika-Chemould Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
  8. 1971

    1. Art Today III, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
  9. 1972

    1. Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, India
    2. 2nd International Triennale India, New Delhi, India
    3. Gallery Kore, Zurich, Switzerland
20 of 199

Integrated Timeline

58 entries

Chronicled Highlights 251970 – 2025

Bhupen P. Khakhar was born in 1934 in Gulalwadi, Bombay, Maharashtra, India.

1970
Public Auction HighPainting
Sotheby's · The Indian SaleLondon · 08 May 1997

In 1997, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Departure of a Friend (1970), offered in the The Indian Sale by Sotheby's, which concluded on 08 May 1997 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹4,67,438 ($13,055). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Departure of a Friend, 1970 | Painting
Selling price
INR4,67,438
34% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 2,32,267 – 3,48,401
Rate per sq in
INR 268
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
41.7 × 41.7 in (106 × 106 cm)
Lot
418 · So.Lon/08.05.97
1970
Literary ReferencePainting
DeRivaz & Ives · Inaugural Masterpieces SeriesOnline · 19 November 2022

An incorrigible eclectic, Bhupen has contrived a style of his own with the assortment of signs and characters picked up from the Indian environment. His work makes sense in the very hodgepodge of India’s urban culture, which is hybrid by circumstance and capable of making outlandish visual combinations.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Send-Off Party, 1970 | Painting
Selling price
INR3,13,60,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 4,00,00,000 – 6,00,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 28,841
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30.1 × 36.1 in (77 × 92 cm)
Lot
13 · De.Onl/19.11.22
1979
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · Indian Contemporary Paintings: Islamic Works of Art and Indian, Himalaya and South-East Asian ArtLondon · 16 October 1995

In 1995, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Weatherman (1979), offered in the Indian Contemporary Paintings: Islamic Works of Art and Indian, Himalaya and South-East Asian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 16 October 1995 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹1,98,996 ($5,803). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Weatherman, 1979 | Painting
Selling price
INR1,98,996
23% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 1,35,188 – 1,62,225
Rate per sq in
INR 124
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
40 × 40 in (102 × 102 cm)
Lot
37 · Ch.Lon/16.10.95
1980
Literary ReferencePainting
DeRivaz & Ives · The Progressives & Other Modern MastersOnline · 09 March 2022

An incorrigible eclectic, Bhupen has contrived a style of his own with the assortment of signs and characters picked up from the Indian environment. His work makes sense in the very hodgepodge of India’s urban culture, which is hybrid by circumstance and capable of making outlandish visual combinations. It is the perpetual paradox of pictorial references in popular art which intrigues Bhupen: the way in which the folk and classical forms mutually transfigure each other, the lavishness with which a realistic figure in the European tradition is overlaid with ornamentation pilfered from the medieval image.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Untitled, 1980 | Painting
Selling price
INR44,80,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 45,00,000 – 72,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 10,546
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
18 × 23.6 in (46 × 60 cm)
Lot
27 · De.Onl/09.03.22
1982
Public Auction HighPainting
Sotheby's · Coups de Coeur: The Guy And Helen Barbier CollectionLondon · 10 June 2019

In 2019, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Two Men in Benares (1982), offered in the Coups de Coeur: The Guy And Helen Barbier Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 10 June 2019 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹22,37,53,803 ($3,221,342.46). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Two Men in Benares, 1982 | Painting
Selling price
INR22,37,53,803
323% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 3,97,19,610 – 5,29,59,480
Rate per sq in
INR 56,389
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
63 × 63 in (160 × 160 cm)
Lot
12 · So.Lon/10.06.19
1987
Image 1/2
First Auction Appearance | BOOK.AUCPainting
Christie's · Contemporary Indian Art (Charity Auction)Mumbai · 20 December 1987

On 20 December 1987, Bhupen Khakhar made their debut in the Indian public auction market when Fishermen was presented as Lot 13 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Fishermen, 1987 | Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Lot
13 · Ch.Mum/20.12.87
1989
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series VI: With Rare Drawings and Books on Indian Contemporary ArtNew Delhi · 01 March 2006

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Fisherman (1989), offered in the Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series VI: With Rare Drawings and Books on Indian Contemporary Art by Osian's, which concluded on 01 March 2006 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹17,25,000 ($38,895). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Fisherman, 1989 | Painting
Selling price
INR17,25,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 16,00,000 – 20,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 837
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
45.5 × 45.3 in (116 × 115 cm)
Lot
97 · Os.Del/01.03.06
1994
Public Auction HighPainting
Saffronart · Modern Indian ArtOnline · 06 December 2018

In 2018, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (The Bathing Ghat) (1994), offered in the Modern Indian Art by Saffronart, which concluded on 06 December 2018 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹6,21,00,000 ($900,000). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Untitled (The Bathing Ghat), 1994 | Painting
Selling price
INR6,21,00,000
77% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 2,50,00,000 – 3,50,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 20,333
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
68.2 × 44.8 in (173 × 114 cm)
Lot
30 · Sa.Onl/06.12.18
1995
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · Modern and Contemporary Indian ArtNew York · 20 September 2006

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Artists Studio (1995), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 20 September 2006 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,10,52,000 ($240,000). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Artists Studio, 1995 | Painting
Selling price
INR1,10,52,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 92,10,000 – 1,38,15,000
Rate per sq in
INR 2,617
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
65 × 65 in (165 × 165 cm)
Lot
66 · Ch.NeY/20.09.06
1995
Literary ReferencePainting
Saffronart · Spring Live Auction: Modern Indian ArtMumbai · 06 April 2022

I feel much lighter now. My personal tensions have been resolved. At 64, you no longer have the feeling that you will never die. One leaves the ambition to become a great painter and accepts whatever one is. Eariler, I worried all the time about my position as an artist.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Untitled, 1995 | Painting
Selling price
INR57,60,000
44% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 30,00,000 – 40,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 8,700
Medium
Watercolour on handmade paper pasted on mount board
Dimensions
22.1 × 29.9 in (56 × 76 cm)
Lot
26 · Sa.Mum/06.04.22
1996
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · South Asian Modern and Contemporary ArtLondon · 11 June 2014

In 2014, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Night (1996), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 11 June 2014 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹4,31,96,599.6 ($728,134.84). 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.

Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Night, 1996 | Painting
Selling price
INR4,31,96,600
74% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 1,78,95,024 – 2,48,54,200
Rate per sq in
INR 7,178
Medium
Oil on canvas laid on board
Dimensions
120.4 × 50 in (306 × 127 cm)
Lot
9 · Ch.Lon/11.06.14
1996
Literary ReferencePainting
Saffronart · Spring Live AuctionMumbai · 13 March 2024
Khakhar’s coming out in the course of the 1980s was probably the most courageous
act of his life, and it may also prove to be one of the most consequential. The most striking change was that his art became explicitly confessional, as often as not including a self‒portrayal. The self is always juxtaposed to the world; the self interrogates, and is interrogated by, the world
Khakhar, Bhupen (Artist). Untitled (Champaner), 1996 | Painting
Selling price
INR14,40,00,000
80% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 6,00,00,000 – 8,00,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 45,976
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
47.6 × 65.7 in (121 × 167 cm)
Lot
13 · Sa.Mum/13.03.24
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist Property from the Collection of Karan Grover
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Economics of Art

20 of 50

Research Centre

20 of 336

Posts 2

  1. Bhupen Khakhar's "Trade Series"
    The early 1970s marked a transformative period in Bhupen Khakhar's artistic evolution. Around 1972, Khakhar began developing a distinctive visual language focused on portraying the everyday lives of ordinary men. This shift culminated in his renowned "Trade Series" - a collection of paintings that resemble large, marquee-style portraits of individuals engaged in various professions, reminiscent of eighteenth-century Company School paintings. Art critic Timothy Hyman notes that Khakhar ventured into an unprecedented artistic realm, capturing the essence of a half-westernized, half-urbanized modern India. His unique position working as an accountant while engaging intimately with a diverse range of human experiences allowed him to present a vivid portrayal of Indian life. Khakhar's "Trade Series" represents a profound departure from traditional artistic confines, effectively dissolving the barrier between studio art and everyday reality.
  2. All Living Souls
    Tuli Research Centre for India Studies presents All Living Souls - Expressed in the Modern and Contemporary Fine & Popular Indian Arts Curated by Neville Tuli As part of launching the 16th Research Category for India Studies - "The Animal-Human-Nature-Continuum" we present a fascinating exhibition of modern and contemporary Indian fine and popular arts and their expression of the ideas and forms related to the dialogue between animals and humans, and the larger cosmic and spiritual thoughts which abide therein. Please visit the Exhibition and see the artworks by modern and contemporary masters such as Rabindranath Tagore, D.P. Roy Chowdhury, M.F. Husain, J. Swaminathan, J. Sultan Ali, Somnath Hore, Ganesh Pyne, Manjit Bawa, K. Laxma Goud, Krishna Reddy, Jyoti Bhatt, Rekha Rodwittiya, Amit Ambalal, among others, along with vintage and rare prints from the pioneering Indian chromolithographic presses such as Chitrashala, Ravi Varma, Calcutta Art Studio, Chore Bagan & Kansaripara.

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