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M.F. Pithawala — featured artwork

Introduction

Date of Birth
26 Oct 1872
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Date of Death
1937
Age
64
Place of Birth
Surat, Gujarat, India
State Country of Birth
Gujarat, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1894

    1. Bombay Fine Art Exhibition, Bombay, India
  2. 1902

    1. Exhibition, Simla Fine Art Society, Simla, India
    2. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
  3. 1907

    1. Annual Exhibition Bombay Art Society, Bombay, India
    2. Simla Art Society, Simla, India
  4. 1909

    1. Annual Exhibition Bombay Art Society, Bombay, India
  5. 1911

    1. B.A.S. Gallery, London, UK
    2. New Burlington Gallery, London. Exhibition, Royal Society of Portrait Painting, London, UK
  6. 1912

    1. Exhibition inaugurated by Her Excellency Lady Clarke, Hall of Elphinstone High School, Bombay, India
  7. 1939

    1. Annual Exhibition Bombay Art Society, Bombay, India
  8. 2004

    1. Manifestations II, organised by Delhi Art Gallery at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai and Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
  9. 2011

    1. Manifestations VI, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      24 Oct 2011 to 24 Dec 2011

  10. 2012

    1. Manisfestions VIII- 20th Century Indian Art, New Delhi, India

      22 Nov 2012 to 29 Dec 2012

  11. 2013

    1. 01 Sep 2013 to 26 Oct 2013

  12. 2014

    1. Indian Portraits - The Face of a People, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

      29 Mar 2014 to 15 Jul 2014

  13. 2019

    1. Drishyakala, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      01 Feb 2019 to 31 Mar 2022

DAG (Organiser) and Kishore Singh (Curator). Indian Portraits, 2013 | Group Exhibition Catalogue | 00883522

DAG (Organiser) and Kishore Singh (Curator). Indian Portraits, 2013 | Group Exhibition Catalogue | 00883522

Chronicled Highlights 71910 – 1996

M.F. Pithawala was born in 26 October 1872 in Surat, Gujarat, India.
1910
Public Auction HighPainting
HEART · Intuitive-Logic - The Next Step: Auctions of Indian Art - Classical, Folk, Tribal, Modern & Contemporary TraditionsNew Delhi · 28 November 1999
In 1999, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Portrait Of Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai (1910), offered in the Intuitive-Logic - The Next Step: Auctions of Indian Art - Classical, Folk, Tribal, Modern & Contemporary Traditions by HEART, which concluded on 28 November 1999 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹4,41,000 ($10,161). 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Portrait Of Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai, 1910 | Painting
Selling price
INR4,41,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 4,50,000 – 6,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 243
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
48 × 37.8 in (122 × 96 cm)
Lot
126 · He.Del/28.11.99
1911
Public Auction HighPainting
Asta Guru · Modern Indian ArtMumbai · 22 December 2018
In 2018, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Diana of the Uplands (1911), offered in the Modern Indian Art by Asta Guru, which concluded on 22 December 2018 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹49,30,254 ($70,255.86). 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Diana of the Uplands, 1911 | Painting
Selling price
INR49,30,254
64% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 20,00,000 – 30,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 1,687
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
62.2 × 47 in (158 × 119 cm)
Lot
5 · AG.Mum/22.12.18
1920
Public Auction HighPainting
Christie's · Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern and Contemporary Indian ArtNew York · 31 March 2005
In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Parsi Lady (1920), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 31 March 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹9,97,500 ($22,800). 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Parsi Lady, 1920 | Painting
Selling price
INR9,97,500
27% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 5,25,000 – 7,87,500
Rate per sq in
INR 874
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
39.2 × 29.1 in (100 × 74 cm)
Lot
240 · Ch.NeY/31.03.05
1925
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 Portrait (1925), 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 ₹12,00,000 ($27,605). 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Portrait, 1925 | Painting
Selling price
INR12,00,000
20% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 8,00,000 – 10,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 3,114
Medium
Oil on card
Dimensions
23 × 16.7 in (59 × 43 cm)
Lot
4 · Os.Del/29.03.07
1926
Literary ReferencePainting
Osian's · Indian Antiquities, Modern and Contemporary Fine ArtsMumbai · 19 June 2015
M.F. Pithawala was one of the greatest portrait painters of modern Indian art. Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai, a foremost philantropist & industrialist of his time, gifted funds to set up the Sir J.J. School of Art. His intention was that: “Under proper guidance, the people of India would attain a degree of proficiency in painting and sculpture which would lead to an extended taste for such objects…[and] would enable India once more to take up an advanced position among manufacturing countries of the world.”
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Portrait, 1926 | Painting
Selling price
INR9,60,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 12,00,000 – 18,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 1,504
Medium
Oil on paper pasted on board
Dimensions
28.5 × 22.4 in (73 × 57 cm)
Lot
21 · Os.Mum/19.06.15
1934
Public Auction HighPainting
Asta Guru · Modern Indian ArtMumbai · 27 March 2018
In 2018, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Parsi Lawyer (1934), offered in the Modern Indian Art by Asta Guru, which concluded on 27 March 2018 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹27,55,170 ($42,519.83). 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). Parsi Lawyer, 1934 | Painting
Selling price
INR27,55,170
10% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 20,00,000 – 25,00,000
Rate per sq in
INR 1,511
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
48 × 38 in (122 × 97 cm)
Signature
S/d : Bottom Left
Lot
10 · AG.Mum/27.03.18
Provenance
Property from an important Delhi based corporate collection.
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 A Hindu Brahmin 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.
Pithawala, M.F. (Artist). A Hindu Brahmin, 1915 | Painting
Selling price
INR3,06,020
450% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 33,384 – 55,640
Rate per sq in
INR 917
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
21.5 × 15.6 in (55 × 40 cm)
Lot
11 · So.Lon/08.10.96
Provenance
Various Properties

Economics of Art

20 of 30

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