Rare books by Nehru, Gandhi and Tagore up for grabs at this online auction

September saw the launch of online auction house Prinseps, with a preview showcase at the Taj Art Gallery in Mumbai, followed by two inaugural auctions this week. While the auctions will focus on names and works associated with Santiniketan and the Bengal School, some lots will feature works by Progressives as well as other notable names who've made their mark on Indian modernism.

Lot 10: Rathindranath Tagore. Untitled (Bamboo Bushes). Signed

The first auction of rare books—the primary attraction of which is a signed copy of Mahatma Gandhi's ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth' took place recently. Also on offer was a signed copy of Jawaharlal Nehru's autobiography, and a number of books that were a part of Rabindranath Tagore's personal collection, including gifted copies that were signed by Albert Einstein and TS Eliot.

Lot 13: Rathindranath Tagore. Untitled (Boat on Padma near Shilaidaha). Oil on paper. Circa 1950. 9x7 inches.

The second auction focuses on modern art, and will include rare works from the estates of Jamini Roy and Rathindranath Tagore, son of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Rathindranath's paintings are especially rare, since most of them are at the Tagore-founded Visva Bharti University in Santiniketan, and very few are currently in circulation.

The art auction will also feature a number of unique pieces—a 1950 kite paper collage by MF Husain, an FN Souza head, a KG Subramanyan terracotta relief, works by Akbar Padamsee, a Somenath Hore sculpture, and an early Subodh Gupta aluminium lamp.

Lot 15: Rathindranath Tagore. Untitled. An original wood inlay by Rathindranath of Rabindranath Tagore's painting. Poem in Bengali engraved on frame on reverse. 18 x 11 inches, including original frame

Prinseps founder Indrajeet Chatterjee, who grew up very close to Santiniketan and has spent his life surrounded by artists, found that the art market in India is driven primarily by a few well-known names, and caters to only a small number of private collectors. With Prinseps, Chatterjee hopes to provide a more diverse platform backed by research and impeccable provenance.

The ultimate goal is that it will be a place where artists who haven't been given their due in the Indian art market can finally shine.

The modern art auction will take place on October 12 and 13.

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