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Dhanraj Bhagat — featured artwork

Introduction

Dhanraj Bhagat occupies a crucial position in the development of postcolonial Indian sculpture. Rejecting academic naturalism, he developed a stylised idiom drawing on tribal iconography, sacred geometries, and architectural volumes. His use of materials such as wood, papier-mâché, and metal reflects an interest in both tactile immediacy and formal experimentation. Bhagat’s work does not conform to Western modernist minimalism but seeks a structural clarity that is spatially symbolic. His pedagogical role at Delhi Polytechnic was instrumental in expanding the vocabulary of Indian sculpture, emphasizing process, material, and cultural specificity. Rather than monumental narratives, his figures often suggest ambiguity poised between anthropomorphic and abstract. Bhagat’s practice offers insight into the formation of sculptural modernism in India, marked by vernacular engagement and institutional critique. His contributions remain relevant to discussions on how form and material culture intersect in the shaping of a non-Western modernist canon.

Date of Birth
20 Dec 1917
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Date of Death
01 Feb 1988
Age
70
Place of Birth
Lahore, Undivided India | Present-day Pakistan
State Country of Birth
Undivided India | Present-day Pakistan

Exhibitions

  1. 1937

    1. Punjab Fine Arts Society, Lahore, Undivided India (Present-day Pakistan)
  2. 1939

    1. Punjab Fine Arts Society, Lahore, Undivided India (Present-day Pakistan)
  3. 1945

    1. Punjab Fine Arts Society, Lahore, Undivided India (Present-day Pakistan)
  4. 1947

    1. Inter- Asian Art Exhibition, New Delhi, India
  5. 1948

    1. Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
    2. All India Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
  6. 1949

    1. All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India
  7. 1950

    1. Freemasons Hall, New Delhi, India
  8. 1951

    1. Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
  9. 1952

    1. Freemasons Hall, New Delhi, India
  10. 1954

    1. All India Sculpture Exhibition, Organised by National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India
    2. Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    3. Freemasons Hall, New Delhi, India
  11. 1957

    1. Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
  12. 1958

    1. Delhi Shilpi Chakra, New Delhi, India
  13. 1960

    1. Studio, South Extension, New Delhi, India
  14. 1961

    1. All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India
    2. Vith Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  15. 1964

    1. Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
  16. 1966

    1. Commonwealth Exhibition, London, UK
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Chronicled Highlights 81953 – 2004

Dhanraj Bhagat was born in 1917 in Lahore, Undivided India | Present-day Pakistan.

1953
Public Auction HighSculpture
Osian's · Masterpieces and Museum Quality Series VIIIMumbai · 31 January 2007

In 2007, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Cry (1953), offered in the Masterpieces and Museum Quality Series VIII by Osian's, which concluded on 31 January 2007 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹10,80,000 ($24,451). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Cry, 1953 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR10,80,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 10,00,000 – 12,50,000
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
4.7 × 6.7 × 3.3 in (12 × 17 × 9 cm)
Lot
14 · Os.Mum/31.01.07
1953
Public Auction HighSculpture
Asta Guru · Dimensions DefinedMumbai · 23 February 2024

In 2024, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Dual Personality (1953), offered in the Dimensions Defined by Asta Guru, which concluded on 23 February 2024 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹38,87,185 ($46,895.71). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Dual Personality, 1953 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR38,87,185
30% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 25,00,000 – 30,00,000
Medium
Reinforced concrete
Dimensions
54 × 30.3 × 18.1 in (137 × 77 × 46 cm)
Lot
165 · AG.Mum/23.02.24
Provenance
Property from a collection based in New Delhi.
1955
Public Auction HighSculpture
Asta Guru · Modern Indian Art: Collector's ChoiceMumbai · 23 June 2026

In 2026, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Standing Figure (1955), offered in the Modern Indian Art: Collector's Choice by Asta Guru, which concluded on 23 June 2026 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹2,66,20,000 ($281,079.21). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Standing Figure, Circa 1955 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR2,66,20,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 2,00,00,000 – 3,00,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 21,136
Medium
Concrete
Dimensions
70 × 18 × 17 in (178 × 46 × 43 cm)
Lot
16 · AG.Mum/23.06.26
Provenance
Property from a collection based in New Delhi. Artwork was acquired by the present owner directly from the artist, thence by descent
1963
Public Auction HighSculpture
Osian's · The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & SculptureNew Delhi · 15 October 2004

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Portrait (1963), offered in the The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & Sculpture by Osian's, which concluded on 15 October 2004 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹2,76,117 ($6,021). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Portrait, 1963 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR2,76,117
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 3,00,000 – 4,00,000
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
24.4 × 6.7 × 4.3 in (62 × 17 × 11 cm)
Lot
52 · Os.Del/15.10.04
1966
Public Auction HighSculpture
Sotheby's · Modern & Contemporary South Asian ArtNew York · 18 March 2024

In 2024, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Shiva's Dance (1966), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 18 March 2024 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,78,99,794.02 ($215,900). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Shiva's Dance, 1966 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR1,78,99,794
20% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 99,48,936 – 1,49,23,404
Medium
Mild Steel
Dimensions
82.7 × 39.8 × 19.7 in (210 × 101 × 50 cm)
Lot
128 · So.NeY/18.03.24
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist Acquired from the above in 2016
1970
Public Auction HighPainting
Asta Guru · Modern TreasuresOnline · 02 September 2023

In 2023, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1970), offered in the Modern Treasures by Asta Guru, which concluded on 02 September 2023 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹20,69,538 ($25,035.3). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Untitled, c.1970 | Painting
Selling price
INR20,69,538
38% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 10,00,000 – 15,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 2,457
Medium
Fibreglass
Dimensions
36 × 23.4 in (91 × 59 cm)
Lot
35 · AG.Onl/02.09.23
1977
Public Auction HighSculpture
Osian's · The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & SculptureNew Delhi · 15 October 2004

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Figure With Symbols (1977), offered in the The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & Sculpture by Osian's, which concluded on 15 October 2004 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹8,62,864 ($18,815). 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.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). Figure With Symbols, 1977 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR8,62,864
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 10,00,000 – 12,50,000
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
54.7 × 10.6 × 10.2 in (139 × 27 × 26 cm)
Lot
53 · Os.Del/15.10.04
2004
Image 1/2
First Auction Appearance | BOOK.AUCSculpture
Osian's · The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & SculptureNew Delhi · 15 October 2004

On 15 October 2004, made their debut in the Indian public auction market when The Kiss was presented as Lot in The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & Sculpture, conducted by Osian's in New Delhi, India. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.

Bhagat, Dhanraj (Artist). The Kiss, 1950 | Sculpture
Selling price
INR4,37,185
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 4,00,000 – 5,00,000
Medium
Wood on wooden base
Dimensions
37 × 6.9 × 6.3 in (94 × 18 × 16 cm)
Lot
51 · Os.Del/15.10.04

Economics of Art

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