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Sunil Madhav Sen — featured artwork

Introduction

Date of Birth
27 Aug 1910
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Date of Death
10 Nov 1979
Age
69
Place of Birth
Purulia, West Bengal, India
State Country of Birth
West Bengal, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1957

    1. Artistry House, Kolkata, India
  2. 1961

    1. Hofstra College, New York, USA
  3. 1963

    1. Gallery Everest, Kolkata, India
    2. Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India
  4. 1973

    1. Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India

      06 Feb 1973 to 18 Feb 1973

  5. 1977

    1. Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India

      09 Jan 1977 to 30 Jan 1977

  6. 1980

    1. 02 Sep 1980 to 14 Sep 1980

  7. 1993

    1. Retrospective, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India
  8. 1998

    1. Symbolism and Geometry in Indian Art, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
  9. 2001

    1. 07 Aug 2001 to 14 Aug 2001

  10. 2003

    1. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      29 Nov 2003 to 13 Dec 2003

    2. Manifestations: Indian Art in 20th Century, from the DAG collection, Organised by Delhi Art Gallery at World Trade Center, Mumbai, India

      12 Nov 2003 to 19 Nov 2003

  11. 2004

    1. The Underlying Spirit, The Inaugural Exhibition from the Osian's Archive Collection, Curated by Neville Tuli, Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

      09 Nov 2004 to 18 Nov 2004

    2. Manifestations II: Indian Art in 20th Century, 100 Artists from the DAG Collection, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

      25 Jul 2004 to 31 Jul 2004

    3. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      09 Aug 2004 to 21 Aug 2004

  12. 2005

    1. Manifestations III: 100 Artists, from the Delhi Art Gallery Collection, Nehru Center, Mumbai, India

      06 Apr 2005 to 12 Apr 2005

    2. Revisualising India, From The Osian's Archive & Library Collection, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

      16 Aug 2005 to 02 Sep 2005

    3. Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

      22 Apr 2005 to 27 Apr 2005

    4. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

      30 Apr 2005 to 14 May 2005

    5. Bengal and Beyond: The Evolution of Bengal Art, Presented by Art & Soul, Curated by Siddharth Tagore, at Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

      01 Oct 2005 to 07 Oct 2005

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Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Sunil Madhav Sen, 1980 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882728
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Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Sunil Madhav Sen, 1980 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882728

Chronicled Highlights 51955 – 1996

Sunil Madhav Sen was born in 1910 in Purulia, West Bengal, India.

1955
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · The Masterpieces & ABC Series: Includes Indian Modern & Contemporary Art Books, Popular Culture & Pakistani Film PostersNew Delhi · 27 July 2007

In 2007, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1955), 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 ₹9,00,000 ($22,233). 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.

Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Untitled, mid 1950s | Painting
Selling price
INR9,00,000
20% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 6,00,000 – 7,50,000
Rate per sq in
INR 3,159
Medium
Gouache on paper
Dimensions
25.4 × 11.2 in (65 × 29 cm)
Lot
79 · Os.Del/27.07.07
1960
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & SculptureNew Delhi · 15 October 2004

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Musician (1960), 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 ₹1,61,068 ($3,512). 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.

Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Musician, 1960 | Painting
Selling price
INR1,61,068
Within estimate
Estimate
INR 1,50,000 – 2,25,000
Rate per sq in
INR 259
Medium
Mixed media on paper
Dimensions
32.9 × 18.9 in (84 × 48 cm)
Lot
83 · Os.Del/15.10.04
1971
Literary ReferencePainting
Osian's · India: The Passionate Detachment: Curated Auctions of Indian Modern and Contemporary Art and BooksMumbai · 24 February 2001

My contention is that Sunil Madhav Sen always found a special pleasure in delineating human figures - even when he painted gods and goddesses (Durga, Krishna, Radha, Jagannath, Balaram, Ganesh, Siv, etc.). He is admittedly a religious person and he has painted almost the whole gamut of the Hindu pantheon. But we should not try to establish a casual relationship between his being a religious person and the so-called religious character of his subjects. To my mind Sunil Madhav is primarily interested in the immense possibilities of human anatomy, its strength and grandeur, its verve and vigour.

Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Shiva & Parvati, early 1970s | Painting
Selling price
INR65,000
Below low estimate
Estimate
INR 1,00,000 – 1,50,000
Rate per sq in
INR 196
Medium
Watercolour and ink
Dimensions
22 × 15 in (56 × 38 cm)
Lot
42 · Os.Mum/24.02.01
1979
Public Auction HighPainting
Osian's · Historical Series IIINew Delhi · 24 November 2006

In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of A Joy Full Mood (1979), offered in the Historical Series III by Osian's, which concluded on 24 November 2006 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹6,30,000 ($14,041). 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.

Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). A Joy Full Mood, late 1970s | Painting
Selling price
INR6,30,000
1% above high estimate
Estimate
INR 5,00,000 – 6,25,000
Rate per sq in
INR 1,369
Medium
Oil on paper pasted on cardboard
Dimensions
19.5 × 23.6 in (50 × 60 cm)
Lot
96 · Os.Del/24.11.06
1996
Image 1/2
First Auction Appearance | BOOK.AUCPainting
Sotheby's · Indian and Southeast Asian ArtNew York · 19 September 1996

On 19 September 1996, Sunil Madhav Sen made their debut in the Indian public auction market when Untitled (Double-Sided Composition) was presented as Lot 459 in Indian and Southeast Asian Art, conducted by Sotheby's in New York, USA. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.

Sen, Sunil Madhav (Artist). Untitled (Double-Sided Composition), n.d. | Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas board
Lot
459 · So.NeY/19.09.96

Economics of Art

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Research Centre

Posts 1

  1. 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.