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J Swaminathan — featured artwork

Introduction

Date of Birth
21 Jun 1928
Zodiac sign
Gemini
Date of Death
25 Apr 1994
Age
65
Place of Birth
Sanjauli, Himachal Pradesh, India
Place of Death
New Delhi, NCT of Delhi, India
Spouse(s)
Bhawani pande
Children
No children
State Country of Birth
Himachal Pradesh, India
State Country of Death
NCT of Delhi, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1960

    1. Three-man Show, New Delhi, India

  2. 1961

    1. Two-man Show, New Delhi, India
    2. Opening Show, Kunika-Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
    3. National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

  3. 1962

    1. One-man Show, New Delhi, India
    2. Sailoz Mookherjea and his Pupils, New Delhi, India

  4. 1963

    1. Group 1890 Exhibition, Inaugurated by Jawahar Lal Nehru, New Delhi, India
    2. Twenty Two Painters, Lucknow, India
    3. UNESCO Exhibition of Indian Graphics to Europe

  5. 1964

    1. One-man Show, New Delhi, India
    2. National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    3. Three Man Show of Drawings, New Delhi, India

  6. 1965

    1. First International Exhibition, Saigon, Vietnam
    2. Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India

      26 Nov 1965 to 04 Dec 1965

    3. One-man Show, Watercolours, New Delhi, India
    4. Art Now in India, Commonwealth Arts Festival, London, UK
    5. Tokyo Biennale, Tokyo, Japan

  7. 1966

    1. Colour Geometry of Space, New Delhi, India
    2. Silpi Chakra Lending Library Show, New Delhi, India

  8. 1967

    1. Seven Painters, London, UK
    2. Group Show, Kunika-Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
    3. Silpi Chakra Group Show, New Delhi, India

  9. 1968

    2. First Triennale India, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    3. Five Contemporary Painters, New Delhi, India

  10. 1969

    1. One-man Show, New Delhi, India
    2. Indian Painters '1969, Kolkata, India
    3. Group Show, Mumbai, India

  11. 1970

    1. One-man Show, New Delhi, India
    2. One-man Show, New Delhi, India
    3. Indian Painters, Group Show, Zurich, Switzerland
    4. Indian Painters, Group Show,Tokyo, Japan

  12. 1971

    1. 11 Oct 1971 to 23 Oct 1971

    2. One-man Show, Shimla, India

  13. 1972

    1. 12 Jan 1972 to 18 Jan 1972

  14. 1973

    1. Homage to Solzhenitsyn, New Delhi, India
    2. Homage to Kangra Valley, New Delhi, India
    3. Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

  15. 1974

  16. 1975

    1. One-man Show, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    2. 3rd Triennale India, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    3. One-man Show, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

  17. 1976

    1. One-man Show of Drawings, Bhopal, India
    2. One-man Show of Drawings, Natraj Gallery, New Delhi, India
    3. Contemporary Indian Paintings, Perth, Australia
    4. One-man Show, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

  18. 1977

    1. One-man Show, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

  19. 1978

    1. One-man Show, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
    2. Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

  20. 1979

    1. 16 Feb 1979 to 03 Mar 1979

  21. 1980

    1. 12 Nov 1980 to 24 Nov 1980

  22. 1982

    1. Contemporary Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, India

  23. 1984

    1. 03 May 1984 to 19 May 1984

  24. 1985

  25. 1986

    2. 1st National Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India

  26. 1987

    1. Festival of India, Moscow, Russia
    2. Perceiving Fingers - Catalogue of Roopankar Collection of Folk and Adivasi Art from Madhya Pradesh, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India. 1987

  27. 1988

    1. 26 Mar 1988 to 15 Apr 1988

    2. 2nd National Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India
    4. Seventeen Indian Painters, on occasion of 25 years of Gallery Chemould, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

  28. 1990

    1. Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India

  29. 1991

    1. National Exposition of Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India

    3. 12 Dec 1991 to 30 Dec 1991

  30. 1992

    1. 24 Jan 1992 to 24 Feb 1992

    2. Memorial, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India

  31. 1993

    1. 15 Oct 1993 to 14 Nov 1993

  32. 1994

    1. Obora, Montreal, Canada
    2. Birla Academy of Arts and Culture, Kolkata, India
    3. Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India

  33. 1995

    1. Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India
    2. Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi, India
    3. Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India

  34. 1996

    1. Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg and Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
    2. Modern Indian Paintings, |One Hundred Years - Part I , Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India

  35. 1997

  36. 2004

  37. 2005

    1. Ashta Nayak: Eight Pioneers of Indian Art, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA
    2. Golden Jubilee: Spirit set Free, Kumar Gallery Fifty Years, New Delhi, India

      28 Oct 2005 to 30 Dec 2005

  38. 2008

    1. Homage to Swaminathan, All India Fine Arts Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India

      09 Feb 2008 to 14 Feb 2008

    3. 3 Masters Briefly, Akar Prakar, Kolkata, India
    4. Moderns, Organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman at Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan
    5. Paz Mandala, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

  39. 2009

    1. In Search of the Vernacular, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA
    2. Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

    3. 04 Apr 2009 to 10 Apr 2009

  40. 2010

    1. Open Doors, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India

      01 Jan 2010 to 31 Oct 2010

    3. Modern Folk: The Folk Art Roots of the Modernist Avant-Garde, Aicon Art Gallery, New York
    4. From Miniature to Modern: Traditions in Transition, Rob Dean Art, London in association with Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    5. Figure/Landscape - Part One, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA

  41. 2011

    1. Masterclass, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
    2. Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, USA
    3. Manifestations V, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
    4. Adbhutam: Rasa in Indian Art, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India
    5. Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore

  42. 2012

    1. Through the Ages: South Asian Sculpture and Painting from Antiquity to Modernism, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA
    2. Transits of a Wholetimer - J. Swaminathan, Gallery Espace, New Delhi, India

  43. 2014

    1. Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India

      11 Aug 2014 to 30 Sep 2014

    2. Arrivals & Departures: The Story of Indian Modern Art II, Presented by Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto, USA

      16 Oct 2014 to 18 Oct 2014

    3. Immutable Gaze Part I: Masterpieces of Modern and Pre-Modern Indian Art, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA
    4. Indian Abstracts, An Absence of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG)Mumbai, India

      07 Dec 2014 to 05 Feb 2015

  44. 2015

    1. Indian Abstracts, An Absence of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New York, USA

      13 Jun 2015 to 12 Sep 2015

    3. Indian Modern: Narratives from 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Galley, New York, USA

      18 Mar 2015 to 06 Jun 2015

  45. 2016

    1. Celebration 2016: Important Works by Modern Masters, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India

      25 Jan 2016 to 05 Feb 2016

  46. 2017

    1. Group 1890: India's Indigenous Modernism, Delhi Art Galley, New York, USA

      23 Mar 2017 to 30 Sep 2017

    2. Hangar for the Passerby, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India

      19 Apr 2017 to 28 Feb 2018

    3. Synchrome - Masters: A show of drawings, paintings and sculptures by Indian master artists, Akar Prakar, Kolkata, India

      19 Jul 2017 to 05 Aug 2017

  47. 2018

    1. The Face of the Sun, Akara Modern, Mumbai, India

      06 Jul 2018 to 31 Aug 2018

  48. 2019

    1. The Seventies Show, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi, India

      02 Dec 2019 to 25 Jan 2020

    2. The Sixties Show, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi, India

      30 Sep 2019 to 28 Nov 2019

  49. 2020

    2. The Sixties Show, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), Mumbai, India

      10 Feb 2020 to 31 Dec 2020

  50. 2021

    1. Memories Arrested in Space, Akara Modern, Mumbai, India

      26 Mar 2021 to 05 May 2021

    2. Delhi Shilpi Chakra 70 years on, Dhoomimal Art Gallery New Delhi, India

      10 Apr 2021 to 15 Aug 2021

  51. 2022

    1. Tantra on the Edge, Inspirations and Experiments in Twentieth Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi, India

      30 Apr 2022 to 22 Jul 2022

    2. Beyond The Beginning, Vadehra Art Gallery (D-40) New Delhi, India

      28 Nov 2022 to 18 Dec 2022

    3. From Tantra To Tribal, Grosvenor Gallery,   St. James's, London, UK

      20 Oct 2022 to 28 Oct 2022

    4. Tantra on the Edge, Inspirations and Experiments in Twentieth Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

      05 Aug 2022 to 06 Oct 2022

    5. Lines (by)LInes\nAn Exploration of Linearity in South Asian Art from the 20th Century to Present, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      02 Apr 2022 to 15 May 2022

    6. Iconic - Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), Mumbai, India

      20 Mar 2022 to 31 Jul 2022

  52. 2023

    1. 27 Masters, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India

      05 Feb 2023 to 05 May 2023

    2. Titans of Time, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

      20 Apr 2023 to 15 May 2023

    3. Time Of The Line, Vadehra Art Gallery (D-40) New Delhi, India

      02 May 2023 to 12 Jun 2023

    4. Out of Place: Journey's through Indian Art, JNAF, Mumbai, India

      18 Oct 2023 to 19 Feb 2024

    5. The Patience of Ordinary Things, Vadehra Gallery, New Delhi, India

      29 Aug 2023 to 07 Oct 2023

    6. Iconic: Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art Edition 03,  Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi, India

      26 Nov 2023 to 16 Dec 2023

    7. Remembering, 60 Years of Gallery Chemould, Group Show, Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, India

      31 Oct 2023 to 05 Nov 2023

    8. Notations on Time, Ishara Art Foundation,   Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

      18 Jan 2023 to 20 May 2023

    9. Raza & His Contemporaries : Seeking a Vital Form, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India

      07 Feb 2023 to 10 Mar 2023

  53. 2024

    1. Memory Fields, Gallery Espace, New Delhi, India

      29 Nov 2024 to 12 Dec 2024

    2. The Imaginary Institution of India Art 1975–1998, Barbican Art Gallery, London, UK

      05 Oct 2024 to 05 Jan 2025

    3. Iconic, Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art Edition 04, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi, India

      21 Dec 2024 to 30 Jan 2025

Swaminathan, J. (Artist). J. Swaminathan, 1968 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882834
1 / 27

Swaminathan, J. (Artist). J. Swaminathan, 1968 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882834

Chronicled Highlights

21 entries
J Swaminathan
1928Born
J Swaminathan
J Swaminathan was born in 1928 in Sanjauli, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Recurring Shadows. Oil on canvas, early/mid 1960s | Painting | FineArts | 0022171
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Recurring Shadows. Oil on canvas, early/mid 1960s | Painting | FineArts | 0022171
…Swaminathan’s use of graffiti is an expression of his disconnection from his class. We should, therefore, pay less attention to his formal and painterly stances: the quintessential Swaminathan is rooted in tribal graffiti’s graphic experience. He is as whimsical as the raving maenad. Because he is whimsical, unpredictable, he paints as a man possessed: vocabulary is loaded with metaphors as any metaphoric tribal wall; nothing new is consciously attempted, only the fanciful marking, representing the mood of the moment, is brought into play: automatic scribbling, patternings that cancel out weight against image, smudge against crust, and of course the crisscrossing doodling game. In his smaller works, graffiti like expressionistic calligraphic images are dispersed all over the surface: the frame is irrelevant to these works…Unsublimated aggressiveness is the natural expressionistic tendency of black strokes: they are played up against coloured scrawls, and their total affect is not aggressive but eyeful, soothing diffidently indecisive.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Sign & The Altar. Oil and mixed media on canvas, c.1964 | Painting | FineArts | 00371635
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Sign & The Altar. Oil and mixed media on canvas, c.1964 | Painting | FineArts | 00371635
The significance of a work of art - lies as so much in the image of reality that it may claim to present as in the reality of the image that it projects… The reality of the image in art derives from the same function as that of reality itself, i.e : to bring into being that which is not from elements which are. It is the organization of form by the rules of the artist‘s creative genius from the soma of his experience … The real struggle of the artist therefore lies in ‘unlearning’ tradition as much as avoiding the pitfalls of extant modes. It is only then that the incipient image directs him towards acquiring the rudiments of a style and a technique.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Geometry of Colour. Oil on canvas, 1965 | Painting | FineArts | 00371200
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Geometry of Colour. Oil on canvas, 1965 | Painting | FineArts | 00371200
In 1992, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Geometry of Colour (1965), offered in the Indian European and Oriental Paintings and Works of Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 09 October 1992 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹49,500 ($1,647). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain, Tree And Bird. Acrylic on canvas, 1968 | Painting | 00876744
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain, Tree And Bird. Acrylic on canvas, 1968 | Painting | 00876744
In 1998, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Mountain, Tree And Bird (1968), offered in the Twentieth Century Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 02 June 1998 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹5,89,648 ($14,135). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Lotus and the Sun. Oil on canvas, 1969 | Painting | FineArts | 00375771
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Lotus and the Sun. Oil on canvas, 1969 | Painting | FineArts | 00375771
In using ancient symbols in a contemporary context, he was knocking off the demarcation between the traditional and the modern, dissolving historical categories in the spontaneous and stubborn act of creation.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Homage to Solzhenitsyn. Oil on canvas, 1973 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00869592
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Homage to Solzhenitsyn. Oil on canvas, 1973 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00869592
In 2025, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Homage to Solzhenitsyn (1973), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 17 March 2025 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹40,67,07,312 ($4,686,000). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1974 | Painting | FineArts | 00373520
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1974 | Painting | FineArts | 00373520
In 1996, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1974), 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 ₹3,61,660 ($10,157.56). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1975 | Painting | FineArts | 00373934
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1975 | Painting | FineArts | 00373934
In 1997, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1975), offered in the The Indian Sale by Sotheby's, which concluded on 08 May 1997 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹4,00,661 ($11,190). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain & Bird Series. Oil on canvas, c.1975 | Painting | FineArts | 00600819
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain & Bird Series. Oil on canvas, c.1975 | Painting | FineArts | 00600819
In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Mountain & Bird Series (1975), 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 ₹23,00,971 ($50,174). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain & Bird Series. Oil on canvas, c.1979 | Painting | 00879879
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain & Bird Series. Oil on canvas, c.1979 | Painting | 00879879
In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Mountain & Bird Series (1979), 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 ₹1,72,50,000 ($388,952). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Tree, The Bird, The Shadow. Oil on canvas, 1981 | Painting | FineArts | 00598150
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Tree, The Bird, The Shadow. Oil on canvas, 1981 | Painting | FineArts | 00598150
In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Tree, The Bird, The Shadow (1981), offered in the Islamic and Indian Art: Including Contemporary Indian Pakistani and Middle Eastern Paintings by Bonhams, which concluded on 28 April 2005 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹1,21,13,891 ($277,142). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Altar. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00416261
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). The Altar. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00416261
In 2022, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Altar (1988), offered in the Glenbarra: A Lasting Legacy Session 1 by Pundole, which concluded on 24 February 2022 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹22,00,00,000 ($2,922,259.92). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain, Bird & Tree series. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00332110
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Mountain, Bird & Tree series. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00332110
He expresses a spiritual sentiment about the unrealised universe, but through the mediating mirror of nature. These are in a sense landscape pictures. There are zigzag mountains, delicate, transparent and lofty; symbols of ascent and of eternity. There is usually a piece of the mountains, a free-floating rock, hung against the sky, and with its perfect poise, defying the gravity of the earth. Sometimes this aerial rock is the perch of a bird or its floating vehicle. There is always an exquisite bird, or pairs and sets of birds: swallows, cuckoos, parrots, koels and peacocks. There is usually a tree or a flowering bush at the foot of the mountain or the crest of a hill: a virginal plant in the first flush of spring; a fragile tulsi, a cherry blossom or a gulmohar. A tree sprung from the air, as it were, all fragrance and colour, its roots barely anchored to the soil its branches filigreed against the sky. The space (akasa) of the picture radiates ligHe.
Sotheby's (Auction House). Indian European and Oriental Paintings and Works of Art. 09 October 1992, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861838
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Sotheby's (Auction House). Indian European and Oriental Paintings and Works of Art. 09 October 1992, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861838
On 09 October 1992, J. Swaminathan made their debut in the Indian public auction market when The Sign Comes to Rest was presented as Lot 144 in Indian European and Oriental Paintings and Works of Art, conducted by Sotheby'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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Text Decoded II. Oil on canvas, 1993 | Painting | FineArts | 00372259
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Text Decoded II. Oil on canvas, 1993 | Painting | FineArts | 00372259
In 1995, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Text Decoded II (1993), 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 ₹1,18,154 ($3,446). 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.
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1993 | Painting | FineArts | 00597671
Swaminathan, J. (Artist). Untitled. Oil on canvas, 1993 | Painting | FineArts | 00597671
The mind moves through the object to the idea, and through the idea to the object. Thus, the work becomes concrete and abstract at the same time

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1993), offered in the Modern Indian Paintings: Winter Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 02 December 2004 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹21,76,875 ($49,228). 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.
Saffronart (Auction House). Winter Online Auction - Modern Indian Paintings. 04 December 2003, Online | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861903
Saffronart (Auction House). Winter Online Auction - Modern Indian Paintings. 04 December 2003, Online | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861903
In 2003, an artwork by J Swaminathan was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Winter Online Auction (December 2003, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.
Bonhams (Auction House). Islamic and Indian Art - Including Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings. 13 October 2005, London | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861926
Bonhams (Auction House). Islamic and Indian Art - Including Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings. 13 October 2005, London | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861926
In 2005, an artwork by J Swaminathan was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Islamic and Indian Art (October 2005, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.
Sotheby's (Auction House). The Indian Sale. 23 May 2006, London | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861937
Sotheby's (Auction House). The Indian Sale. 23 May 2006, London | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861937
In 2006, an artwork by J Swaminathan was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: The Indian Sale (May 2006, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.
Triveda (Auction House). Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings. 25 October 2006, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861948
Triveda (Auction House). Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings. 25 October 2006, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861948
In 2006, an artwork by J Swaminathan was featured on the cover of Triveda: Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings (October 2006, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.
Pundole (Auction House). Looking West - Works from the Collection of the Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan (Session II). 04 September 2020, Mumbai | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00862359
Pundole (Auction House). Looking West - Works from the Collection of the Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan (Session II). 04 September 2020, Mumbai | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00862359
In 2020, an artwork by J Swaminathan was featured on the cover of Pundole: Looking West (September 2020, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

Economics of Art

Public Auction Market (1987–2026) | Select Indicators

  1. Annual Auction Sale Turnover
  2. Average Sale Price Per Lot
  3. Square Inch Rate Trend
Currency

Annual Auction Sale Turnover

This indicator tracks the Total Annual Auction Sales value of J Swaminathan’s artworks, beginning in 1987 through to the present.
It aggregates all sales across global auction houses into yearly totals.

Analysis reflected in the chart:
The turnover graph highlights periods of strong growth, moments of market correction, and resilience during downturns. Peaks often align with landmark works coming to public auction, while troughs may indicate reduced supply or weaker demand. Over time, the curve illustrates the overall trajectory of J Swaminathan’s public auction market presence.

Average Sale Price Per Lot

This measure calculates the Average Sale Price of all lots by J Swaminathan sold each year.
It smooths out fluctuations caused by the quantity of works offered and focuses on the Average Sale Price level per artwork.

Analysis reflected in the chart:
Rising average sale prices indicate growing collector confidence and a stronger willingness to pay higher amounts per work. Assuming the mix of mediums remains relatively stable over time, the proportion of works on paper typically priced lower than works on canvas adds important context to understanding these market movements.

Square Inch Rate Trend

The Square Inch Rate normalizes prices by the size of each artwork, showing the average sale value per square inch over time.
This allows fair comparisons between smaller works and larger canvases.

Analysis reflected in the chart:
The Square Inch Rate shown in the graph combines various medium types such as canvas, paper, board, and others. Historically, works on canvas and board have broadly commanded higher prices compared to works on paper.

Research Centre

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  1. All Living Souls
    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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  1. All Living Souls
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 79
    All Living Souls
    Expressed in Modern & Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts | Curated by Neville Tuli
    6th - 11th May 2026
    10:30am - 7:30pm
    Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003
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Related

50

Personalities

31

Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath TagoreComparable Artworks
Akbar Padamsee
Akbar PadamseeComparable Artworks
Amrita Sher-Gil
Amrita Sher-GilComparable Artworks
Bhupen P. Khakhar
Bhupen P. KhakharComparable Artworks
Bikash Bhattacharjee
Bikash BhattacharjeeComparable Artworks
F.N. Souza
F.N. SouzaComparable Artworks
Ganesh Pyne
Ganesh PyneComparable Artworks
Geeta Kapur
Geeta KapurComparable Artworks
Gieve Patel
Gieve PatelComparable Artworks
HEART
HEARTComparable Artworks
Hemendranath Mazumdar
Hemendranath MazumdarComparable Artworks
J. Sultan Ali
J. Sultan AliComparable Artworks
Jamini Roy
Jamini RoyComparable Artworks
Jogen Chowdhury
Jogen ChowdhuryComparable Artworks
K.G. Subramanyan
K.G. SubramanyanComparable Artworks
Krishen Khanna
Krishen KhannaComparable Artworks
M.F. Husain
M.F. HusainComparable Artworks
Manjit Bawa
Manjit BawaComparable Artworks
N.S. Bendre
N.S. BendreComparable Artworks
Nasreen Mohamedi
Nasreen MohamediComparable Artworks
Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas RoerichComparable Artworks
Osian's
Osian'sComparable Artworks
P.V. Janakiram
P.V. JanakiramComparable Artworks
Prabhakar Barwe
Prabhakar BarweComparable Artworks
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi VarmaComparable Artworks
Rameshwar Broota
Rameshwar BrootaComparable Artworks
Ramkumar
RamkumarComparable Artworks
Rashid Rana
Rashid RanaComparable Artworks
Ratan Parimoo
Ratan ParimooComparable Artworks
Sayed Haider Raza
Sayed Haider RazaComparable Artworks
Shanti Dave
Shanti DaveComparable Artworks

Institutions

13

Apparao Art
Apparao ArtComparable Artworks
Art Bull
Art BullComparable Artworks
Asta Guru
Asta GuruComparable Artworks
Bid & Hammer
Bid & HammerComparable Artworks
Bonhams
BonhamsComparable Artworks
Bowrings
BowringsComparable Artworks
Christie's
Christie'sComparable Artworks
DAG
DAGComparable Artworks
Emami Chisel
Emami ChiselComparable Artworks
Prinseps
PrinsepsComparable Artworks
Pundole
PundoleComparable Artworks
Roseberys
RoseberysComparable Artworks
Saffronart
SaffronartComparable Artworks

Themes

4

Artrends
ArtrendsComparable Artworks
Journal of Arts & Ideas
Journal of Arts & IdeasComparable Artworks
Lalit Kala Contemporary Journal
Lalit Kala Contemporary JournalComparable Artworks
Marg
MargComparable Artworks

Events

2

All Living Souls
All Living SoulsEvent Artists · Comparable Artworks
Pictorial Space 1978
Pictorial Space 1978Event Artists · Comparable Artworks