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Gaganendranath Tagore — featured artwork

Introduction

Date of Birth
18 Sep 1867
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Date of Death
14 Feb 1938
Age
70
Place of Birth
Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Place of Death
Calcutta
Spouse(s)
Did not marry
State Country of Birth
West Bengal, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1908

    1. Inaugural Exhibition, Indian Society of Oriental Art, Kolkata, India
  2. 1909

    1. Indian Society of Oriental Art Exhibition, Shimla, India
  3. 1910

    1. Indian Society of Oriental Art, Kolkata, India
  4. 1911

    1. Festival of Empire, Organised by Indian Society of Oriental Art, for George V's Coronation, Crystal Palace, London, UK
    2. Indian Society of Oriental Art, United Provinces Exhibition, Allahabad, India
  5. 1912

    1. Indian Society of Oriental Art, Kolkata, India
  6. 1914

    1. 22nd Exhibition of Societe des Peintres Orientalistes Francais, Grand Palais, Paris travelled to Belgium, Holland & Imperial Institute, England
    2. His work was exhibited in the 22nd exhibition de Societe des peintres orientalistes francais in Paris, London, Belgium and Holland
    3. Indian Society of Oriental Art, Kolkata & Young Men's Indian Association, Chennai, India
  7. 1915

    1. Indian Society of Oriental Art,Chennai, India
  8. 1922

    1. 14th Annual Exhibition of the lndian Society of Oriental Art, Calcutta, India
  9. 1923

    1. Berlin and Hamburg, Germany
    2. His work was exhibited in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany
  10. 1924

    1. Travelling Exhibition, Organised by American Federation of Art & Indian Society of Oriental Art at, USA
  11. 1928

    1. He exhibited in the Athene Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland
    2. Athenee Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland
  12. 1967

    1. Gaganendranath's Centenary Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India

      18 Sep 1967 to 24 Sep 1967

  13. 1975

    1. A Handbook of Bengal School. National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
  14. 1976

    1. Advoot Lok, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
  15. 1979

    1. Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
20 of 59

Chronicled Highlights 141910 – 2022

Gaganendranath Tagore was born in 18 September 1867 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
1910
Public Auction HighPainting
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 Randhashala In Puri Temple (1910), 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 ₹15,90,000 ($35,997). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Randhashala In Puri Temple, c.1910 | Painting
Selling price
INR15,90,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 16,00,000 – 20,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 18,968
Medium
Watercolour and wash on paper
Dimensions
10.2 × 8.2 in (26 × 21 cm)
Lot
1 · Os.Mum/31.01.07
1911
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · The ABC Series: Art, Book & CinemaNew Delhi · 20 July 2006
In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Landscape (1911), offered in the The ABC Series: Art, Book & Cinema by Osian's, which concluded on 20 July 2006 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹12,65,000 ($27,007). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Landscape, early 1910s | Painting
Selling price
INR12,65,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 12,00,000 – 15,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 7,836
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
14.8 × 10.9 in (38 × 28 cm)
Lot
13 · Os.Del/20.07.06
1913
Literary ReferencePainting
Osian's · India Historical Lila: Auction of Indian Modern and Contemporary Paintings, Drawings and Graphic ArtMumbai · 20 October 2001
Gaganendra was a virtuoso in his many-sidedness. He was also a non-conformist… (he) kept outside the pale of the parochial orthodoxy of Modern Indian Art. He remained a free painter all through, free from fetish of all kinds – oriental or occidental… His artistic motivation was a curious amalgam of deliberate intellection penetrated and surcharged by a romanticism of the wmotional-impulsive type.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Chaitanya Series, c.1913 | Painting
Selling price
INR3,41,250
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 4,00,000 – 5,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 2,064
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
15 × 11 in (38 × 28 cm)
Lot
5 · Os.Mum/20.10.01
1915
Public Auction HighPainting
Sotheby's · Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Property from The Francisco Capelo CollectionNew York · 24 March 2010
In 2010, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Sleepless City (1915), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Property from The Francisco Capelo Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 24 March 2010 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹31,25,655 ($68,500). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). The Sleepless City, 1915 | Painting
Selling price
INR31,25,655
357% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 4,55,600 – 6,83,400
Rate per sq in
INR 13,997
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
10 × 22.2 in (26 × 57 cm)
Lot
117 · So.NeY/24.03.10
1920
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · South Asian Modern and Contemporary ArtLondon · 10 June 2015
In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1920), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 10 June 2015 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹55,39,061.25 ($86,703.76). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Untitled, 1920 | Painting
Selling price
INR55,39,061
275% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 9,84,722 – 14,77,083
Rate per sq in
INR 38,814
Medium
Watercolour on paper laid on wood
Dimensions
13 × 11 in (33 × 28 cm)
Lot
1 · Ch.Lon/10.06.15
1921
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · ABC Series III: Art, Book & CinemaNew Delhi · 29 March 2007
In 2007, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1921), offered in the ABC Series III: Art, Book & Cinema by Osian's, which concluded on 29 March 2007 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹24,00,000 ($55,210). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Untitled, early 1920s | Painting
Selling price
INR24,00,000
20% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 16,00,000 – 20,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 27,949
Medium
Watercolour and wash on paper
Dimensions
10.9 × 7.9 in (28 × 20 cm)
Lot
1 · Os.Del/29.03.07
1921
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · Indian Modern & Contemporary ArtNew Delhi · 18 March 2008
In 2008, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1921), offered in the Indian Modern & Contemporary Art by Osian's, which concluded on 18 March 2008 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹31,20,000 ($76,809). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Untitled, early 1920s | Painting
Selling price
INR31,20,000
11% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 22,00,000 – 28,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 1,50,216
Medium
Ink and gouache on paper
Dimensions
5.3 × 3.9 in (13 × 10 cm)
Lot
3 · Os.Del/18.03.08
1921
Literary ReferencePainting
Osian's · India: The Passionate Detachment: Curated Auctions of Indian Modern and Contemporary Art and BooksMumbai · 24 February 2001
…he is a legend among the discriminating and, as time passes, his work is coming to be recognized as even more significant than the major works of the school with which he was vaguely associated. For, both in his mature painting, where he sought to absorb Far Eastern and Cubist influences into the service of his own peculiar private vision of forms, and as a commentator on current affairs, through his cartoons he displayed a depth of understanding about the mental and moral crises in which India was involved and as extraordinary technical virtuosity as a craftsman…
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Darjeeling Landscape Series, early 1920s | Painting
Selling price
INR3,30,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 4,25,000 – 5,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 5,143
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
3.5 × 18.1 in (9 × 46 cm)
Lot
22 · Os.Mum/24.02.01
1925
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · Twentieth Century Indian ArtLondon · 02 June 1998
In 1998, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Atrium (1925), offered in the Twentieth Century Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 02 June 1998 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹4,87,442 ($11,685). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). The Atrium, 1920-1925 | Painting
Selling price
INR4,87,442
43% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 2,05,095 – 3,41,825
Rate per sq in
INR 4,262
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
12.2 × 9.4 in (31 × 24 cm)
Lot
14 · Ch.Lon/02.06.98
1925
Public Auction HighDrawing
Triveda · Modern and Contemporary Indian PaintingsNew Delhi · 25 October 2006
In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Hindur Dharma Ghorotoro Aghatan (1925), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings by Triveda, which concluded on 25 October 2006 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹6,90,000 ($15,232). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Hindur Dharma Ghorotoro Aghatan, c.1920s | Drawing
Selling price
INR6,90,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 6,00,000 – 8,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 4,644
Medium
Pen and ink heightened with wash on paper
Dimensions
14 × 10.6 in (36 × 27 cm)
Lot
26 · Tr.Del/25.10.06
1925
Public Auction HighPainting
Sotheby's · Modern and Contemporary South Asian ArtLondon · 06 October 2015
In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Bed of Arrows (Bhishma) (1925), offered in the Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 06 October 2015 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹80,48,137.5 ($123,077.52). 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.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Bed of Arrows (Bhishma), c.1922-1925 | Painting
Selling price
INR80,48,138
225% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 17,82,972 – 24,76,350
Rate per sq in
INR 26,424
Medium
Watercolour and gouache on cardboard
Dimensions
15.5 × 19.7 in (39 × 50 cm)
Lot
1 · So.Lon/06.10.15
1925
Literary ReferencePainting
DeRivaz & Ives · Indian Modern Fine ArtsOnline · 22 January 2022
In 1922, our artist (G.T.) introduced cubism in India, and at once cubism shows another aspect. It is not the dissolution and fragmentation of the static, but of the dynamic character of objects which break up in cubes…The transformation of cubism asa principle of composition from an interpenetrating order of vertical and horizontal units into an expressive three-dimensional context or emotional pattern is the artist’s contribution to Indian art and to cubism alike... G.N. Tagore remained an isolated phenomenon.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). Untitled, 1923-1925 | Painting
Selling price
INR13,44,000
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 12,00,000 – 18,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 12,308
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
9.1 × 12 in (23 × 30 cm)
Lot
1 · De.Onl/22.01.22
1996
Image 1/2
First Auction Appearance | BOOK.AUCPainting
Sotheby's · Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred YearsLondon · 08 October 1996
On 08 October 1996, made their debut in the Indian public auction market when The Queen Of Puppet was presented as Lot in Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred Years, conducted by Sotheby's in London, UK. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.
Tagore, Gaganendranath (Artist). The Queen Of Puppet, 1926 | Painting
Selling price
INR2,50,380
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 2,22,560 – 3,33,840
Rate per sq in
INR 4,308
Medium
Gouache on paper laid down on card
Dimensions
9.8 × 5.9 in (25 × 15 cm)
Lot
14 · So.Lon/08.10.96
Provenance
Various Properties
2022
Featured on Auction Catalogue Cover | De.Onl/27.08.22Auction Catalogue
deRivaz & Ives · Indian Modern ArtNew Delhi · 27 August 2022
In 2022, an artwork by Gaganendranath Tagore was featured on the cover of deRivaz & Ives: Indian Modern Art (August 2022, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.
deRivaz & Ives (Auction House) and Neville Tuli (Curator). Indian Modern Art. 27 August 2022 | Auction Catalogue
Lots offered
30
Lots sold
24 · 80%
Pages
97
Lot
De.Onl/27.08.22

Economics of Art

20 of 50

Research Centre

Posts 1

  1. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    "What does 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷 truly mean? Is freedom achieved at a single historic moment or period, or must self-rule be continually imagined, questioned and renewed? India's journey towards Swaraj was shaped not by one voice or one path, but through reform and resistance, revolution and non-violence, political thought, public protest, art, print, photography, cinema and the collective will of its people. The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗝: 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, a pioneering exhibition curated by Neville Tuli. Bringing together rare artworks, prints, photographs, books, film publicity art, political propaganda and visual-textual-audio archives, SWARAJ traces India's complex journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery. From early European coastal encounters, the Bengal Renaissance and the First War of Independence in 1857 to the rise of Bharat Mata, the Tiranga, Gandhiji's inspired satyagraha, civil disobedience and mass mobilisation, the exhibition explores how the idea of India was envisioned, contested and transformed. It journeys through revolutionary movements and non-violence, subaltern uprisings, the Partition, the Constitution, the integration of the Princely States, the Emergency, wars, civic dissent and people's protests. It also foregrounds the vital role of artists, photographers, publishers, newspapers, journals, cartoons and cinema in recording and shaping the nation's political consciousness. SWARAJ invites us to encounter history not as something distant or settled, but as a daily living inheritance that continues to influence who we are and how we understand freedom, identity, and ourselves today. Watch the video for a glimpse into this expansive visual journey, and follow the exhibition as it revisualises India's political history through art, image, text and sound.

Calendar 2

  1. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    ArchivedOpening PreviewProject 82
    SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    An Exhibition of Modern & Contemporary Fine & Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archive
    12th August 2026
    6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi,
    The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.
    Read More →
    +16 more
  2. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 81
    SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    An Exhibition of Modern & Contemporary Fine & Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archive
    12th - 19th August 2026
    10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi,
    19
    The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.
    Read More →
    +16 more

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