Nandalal Bose

In 2011, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Shiva Drinking The World Poison (1936), offered in the Creative India Series 1: Bengal by Osian's, which concluded on 15 December 2011 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹60,00,000 ($110,629). 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.

In 2025, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Esraj Player (1937), offered in the The Fine Art Sale by Pundole, which concluded on 27 March 2025 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹3,50,00,000 ($408,110.91). 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.

Pursuing the analysis further, but keeping in mind the same truth that creation is an unfolding away from, and not a harking back to, the origin, it has seemed to me that the various decorative designs may claim as their fundamental basis are the forms of the Buddhist symbols for the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and sky… Third element: Fire. The symbol is a cone, or triangle, standing on its base, point upwards. This represents the shape of an undistributed flame. Its interaction with air results in waves and eddies; but as fire, unlike water, is devoid of weight, the lines of these forms have an upward tendency.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Nati (1943), offered in the Indian Art: Classical to Modern by Pundole, which concluded on 09 April 2015 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹80,00,000 ($128,501.67). 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.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1943), offered in the Modern Indian Art by Asta Guru, which concluded on 21 August 2015 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹2,91,37,012 ($442,611.28). 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.

In 2026, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (Shiva Drinking World Poison) (1943), offered in the Masters Legacy by Asta Guru, which concluded on 11 March 2026 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹4,84,00,000 ($526,512.17). 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.

In 1999, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Bhairagi (1945), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 16 September 1999 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹13,76,975 ($31,625). 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.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Krishna and Subal First Meeting Radha (1945), offered in the Indian Art: Classical to Modern by Pundole, which concluded on 09 April 2015 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹75,00,000 ($120,470.32). 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.

This painting represents one of those complete masterpieces where Nandalal Bose manages to artistically incorporate all the five elements of nature in his narrative, which were a critical area of his artistic research and interest during the early-mid 1940s, best clarified through his writings in ‘On Art’ Madras: Kalakshetra Publications 1956. “In these notes on arnamental art I have tried to show, so far, how the forms of natural objects … which have been used in our country for the purposes of decorative designing, could be reduced to certain typical shapes; adding the caution, however, that a mechanical insistance on these would tend to restrict creative variety, for the maintaining of which an everfresh study of nature is always needed. ... it has seemed to me that the various decorative designs may claim as their fundamental basis the forms of the Buddhist symbols for the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and sky. I now proceed to explain and illustrate my idea. ...Second Element: Water. The symbol for this is a sphere (in two dimensions, a circle). water, unsupported, tens to form spherical drops. Its shape depends on external containers or resistances. Its eddies due to contacts with earth are circular. The impact on it of air gives rise to wave forms. Being heavy as well as fluid, its lines of motion tend downward. All the forms so arising are to be found in scroll work. Third Element: Fire. The symbol is a cone, or triangle standing on its base, point upwards. This represents the shape of an undisturbed flame. its interaction with air results in waves and eddies; but as fire, unlike water, is devoid of weight, the lines of these have an upward tendency. Fourth Element: Air. The symbol is a crescent, emblematic of the forms created by the motion over earth and water. It is fluid, but being invisible, it can only manifest form throughits action on sand, dust, water, vapours etcetera. Its eddies and waves are prominently displayed in cloud shapes. Ascending spirals are characteristic of its lightness. Fifth Element: Sky. The symbol is an eggshell in shape - vaulted in each direction. The sky represents space itself, with no form of its own; but being the condition of every form, is thus fittingly symbolised by a vault-like cavity. The spaces, within and around the lines of a design, are as necessary parts of its form as are the lines themselves, and find their prototype in this element.”

In 2010, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Dandiya Dance (1951), offered in the 101 Rare Artworks from the History of Indian Modern & Contemporary Art by Osian's, which concluded on 23 June 2010 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹31,20,000 ($67,372). 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.

In 1997, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1952), offered in the The Intuitive-Logic II: Modern & Contemporary Indian Paintings, Drawings, Graphics, Sculpture & Tapestry by HEART, which concluded on 15 November 1997 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹1,00,000 ($2,722). 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.

In 2011, an artwork by Nandalal Bose was featured on the cover of Osians: Creative India Series 1 (December 2011, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.