When I was a student of Sailoz Mukherjee, I was just a beginner and learning ABC of art… Of course, I remember many profound talks with Sailoz Mukherjee. He was a very strict teacher. We were taught the basic elements of drawing. In Paris, it was entirely different... In fact, he (Sailoz) was giving us live classes, which is rather a western concept. We were supposed to draw still lives and models and get a basic understanding of drawing. When I think of Sailoz now, I feel that he was a real artist, in the true sense of the word, who was unfortunately not given due recognition which he deserved.
Introduction
- Date of Birth
- 02 Nov 1907
- Zodiac sign
- Scorpio
- Date of Death
- 05 Oct 1960
- Age
- 52
- Place of Birth
- Calcutta, West Bengal, India
- Place of Death
- New Delhi, NCT of Delhi, India
- State Country of Birth
- West Bengal, India
- State Country of Death
- NCT of Delhi, India
1928
- Diploma in Art, Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, India
1928 – 1932
1937
- Toured France, England, Italy and Holland studying exhibitions and galleries. Attended Cezanne's centenary celebrations and Van Gogh exhibition (Paris ), Rembrandt (Amsterdam), Tintoretto (Venice) and Franz Hals (Haarlem)
1937 – 1938
1932
- Art Director, Imperial Tobacco Company
1932 – 1937
1937
- Participated in the World Scout Jamboree, Brussels, Belgium
1945
- Art Teacher, Sarada Ukil School of Art, New Delhi, India
1945 – 1947
1948
- Part of Art Department, Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi, India
1948 – 1960
1958
- Member, Judging Committee, National Exhibition of Art, New Delhi, India
Exhibitions
1937
- First solo exhibition, Kolkata, India
1939
- Boy Scout Headquarters, Kolkata, India
1941
- 1, Chowringhee Terrace, Kolkata, India
1943
- 1, Chowringhee Terrace, Kolkata, India
1945
- Town Hall, New Delhi, India
1947
- UNESCO International Exhibition of Modern Art, Paris, France
- Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Paintings at India House, London, UK
1950
- Retrospective Exhibition, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
1951
- Salon de Mai, Paris, France
1959
- Sailoz Mukherjee at Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India
1960
- Memorial Exhibition, Fine Arts Department, Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi, India
1961
- Memorial Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1962
- Memorial Exhibition, Kunika-Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
1983
- Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1996
- Modern Indian Paintings, one Hundred Years - Part I
14 Oct 1996
1997
- Glimpses of History of Contemporary Indian Art, Part - 1, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
29 Sep 1997 to 18 Oct 1997
- Major Trends in Indian Art, Curated by Rm. Palaniappan, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
25 Sep 1997 to 12 Oct 1997
1998
25 Aug 1998 to 12 Sep 1998
2000
- Shatabdi: Reflections on A Century Past, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India
05 Jan 2000 to 23 Jan 2000
- Face off 1990 - 1980's: An Exhibition of Indian Old Masters and Moderns, Curated by Santo Datta, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
15 Apr 2000 to 31 May 2000
Mookherjea, Sailoz (Artist). Sailoz Mookherjea, 1998 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859354
1937
- First solo exhibition, Kolkata, India
1939
- Boy Scout Headquarters, Kolkata, India
1941
- 1, Chowringhee Terrace, Kolkata, India
1943
- 1, Chowringhee Terrace, Kolkata, India
1945
- Town Hall, New Delhi, India
1950
- Retrospective Exhibition, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
1959
- Sailoz Mukherjee at Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India
1960
- Memorial Exhibition, Fine Arts Department, Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi, India
1961
- Memorial Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1962
- Memorial Exhibition, Kunika-Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India
1983
- Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1998
25 Aug 1998 to 12 Sep 1998
Mookherjea, Sailoz (Artist). Sailoz Mookherjea, 1998 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859354
1947
- UNESCO International Exhibition of Modern Art, Paris, France
- Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Paintings at India House, London, UK
1951
- Salon de Mai, Paris, France
1996
- Modern Indian Paintings, one Hundred Years - Part I
14 Oct 1996
1997
- Glimpses of History of Contemporary Indian Art, Part - 1, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
29 Sep 1997 to 18 Oct 1997
- Major Trends in Indian Art, Curated by Rm. Palaniappan, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
25 Sep 1997 to 12 Oct 1997
2000
- Shatabdi: Reflections on A Century Past, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India
05 Jan 2000 to 23 Jan 2000
- Face off 1990 - 1980's: An Exhibition of Indian Old Masters and Moderns, Curated by Santo Datta, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
15 Apr 2000 to 31 May 2000
- Shatabdi: Reflections on A Century Past, Organised by CIMA, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
30 Mar 2000 to 06 Apr 2000
2001
07 Aug 2001 to 14 Aug 2001
2003
- Manifestations: Indian Art in 20th Century from the DAG Collection, World Trade Centre, Mumbai, India
12 Nov 2003 to 19 Nov 2003
- Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
29 Nov 2003 to 13 Dec 2003
- Contemporary Indian Art: A Journey to the Past through the Present unto the Future, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
2005
- Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Apr 2005 to 14 May 2005
- Manifestations III: 100 Artists from the Delhi Art Gallery Collection, Organised by Delhi Art Gallery at Nehru Center, Mumbai, India
06 Apr 2005 to 12 Apr 2005
- Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
22 Apr 2005 to 27 Apr 2005
- 14th Ravi Jain Annual, Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, India
29 Sep 2005 to 16 Oct 2005
- Golden Jubilee: Spirit Set Free, Kumar Gallery Fifty Years, New Delhi, India
28 Oct 2005 to 30 Dec 2005
2007
- Celebrations 2007, Kumar Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
25 Jan 2007 to 08 Feb 2007
2008
- Moderns, Organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan
DAG (Organiser). Changing Images, 2001 | Group Exhibition Catalogue | 00883502
Chronicled Highlights 131939 – 1997
Sailoz Mookherjea was born in 1907 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Kiss & Lovers Series (1945), offered in the Masterpieces & Museum Quality III: Indian Contemporary Paintings with Rare Books and Vintage Film Memorabilia by Osian's, which concluded on 26 March 2004 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹5,75,000 ($12,855). 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.
There is a lyricism of line and colour in his work which has no poetic genius of Sailoz… He was not interested in formalising what he saw was the grace and the movement, the colour and the virginity of life, and he painted without a thought in his mind – a mind as restful and clear as the transparent skies of his landscape.
In 2007, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1948), 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 ₹19,20,000 ($43,468). 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.
Sailoz’s second period (1949-1959) includes the mature phase of his art and the paintings of the decade represent the consolidation of the style. His work is much more confident and loose spontaneous and lyrical. The paintings are full of light and air and movement. We see his full unrestricted palette and the freedom and zest with which the artist plays with his colours. Sailoz was a great colourist. These qualities are more evident in the landscape compositions like Washing Day but are also seen in figure paintings with no background like Village Family. Though the paintings in general are small they are full of verve and energy.
In 1999, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Portrait Of A Sadhu (1951), 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 ₹2,10,000 ($4,839). 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 2018, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (Peace) (1955), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 19 March 2018 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹26,01,500 ($40,000). 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.
His paintings though not many in number are important as harbingers of the new attitude towards painting and the “art about art” of the mid-twentieth century…Sailoz has to be considered one of the major figures in modern Indian art. In the 1940’s he did indeed enjoy a reputation and popularity few Indian artists have since been able to rival... Sailoz was proud to be an artist. There is a cold impersonality and ambiguity in modern art from which his work was free. His painting was vibrant and positive, clearly a result of his convictions and temperament; he rejected disappointment and difficulties. He was a man with the soul of a pilgrim, the hand of the artist, the eye of a poet.
In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Nizam-ud-din (1957), offered in the Masterpieces and Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art by Osian's, which concluded on 02 December 2005 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹9,20,000 ($19,947.96). 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 2007, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Nizam-Ud-Din: Purana Qila (1957), offered in the The Masterpieces & ABC Series: Includes Indian Modern & Contemporary Art Books, Popular Culture & Pakistani Film Posters by Osian's, which concluded on 27 July 2007 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹19,80,000 ($48,913). 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.
His contemporaneity is seen especially in a free and spontaneous handling of his media. He questions older conventions and his painterly, pseudo-careless treatment is typical. Here figures are not figures but patches of pigment; garments, hair, trees, are liberated colour. His thin brush sweeps across spaces and whips up shapes with an art nouveau exuberance. He prefers suggestion to statement and his details are only the right amount of decoration. This attitude towards paint and brush is very modern. It is uninhibited and enthusiastic, restless and momentary… His art took the form of small lyrical gems that had been created spontaneously rather than laboriously contrived.
In 1999, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Night At Jhelum (1959), 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 ₹5,04,000 ($11,613). 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.
Economics of Art
Record-high lots10
Public Auction Market (1987–2026) | Select Indicators
Annual Auction Sale Turnover
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 Sailoz Mookherjea’s public auction market presence.
Average Sale Price Per Lot
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
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.
1933
- Gold Medal, Art Exhibition, Kolkata University Institute
1936
- Bombay Art Society Award, Mumbai, India
1951
- Deemed National Art Treasure, Govemment of India
1976
- Posthumously included in the ASI's prestigious list of “Nine Indian Master Artists” (also referred to as “Nine National Art Treasures”)
1978
- India Post issued a stamp commemorating his painting 'The Mosque'
1979
- Included a second time in ASI's prestigious list of “Nine Indian Master Artists”
Research Centre
Posts 1
- 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.
Related
51
Personalities
36
Institutions
12