Watercolor painting by Maqbool Hussain (Indian, 1915-2011), titled “Raging Horse,” of a leaping white horse with open mouth draped with a green saddle blanket, sold for $16,250.
CRANSTON, R.I. – Vibrant paintings by prominent Indian artists piqued the interest of bidders at Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ estates fine art and antiques auction conducted on March 14, as an equestrian watercolor on paper by Maqbool Hussain (1915-2011) sold for $16,250 and a figural oil on canvas by B. Prabha (1933-2001) brought $11,875.
The auction was conducted online and in the Bruneau & Co. gallery. “It was a phenomenal sale,” remarked company president Kevin Bruneau. “While the inhouse crowd was limited due to the virus pandemic, online and phone participation was more active than ever before. It was great to see the contemporary art perform as strongly as it did.”
The watercolor by Maqbool Hussain titled “Raging Horse” depicted a leaping white horse with its mouth open, draped with a green saddle blanket and carrying a flag with the image of a sun. The work was signed in Hindi in the lower right corner and had a sheet size of 22 by 30 inches, minus frame. Hussain is often referred to as the “Picasso of India.”
The oil painting signed by B. Prabha, titled” Woman with a Pear Basket,” showed an Indian woman with her hair tied back and long limbs supporting a basket of fruit. The canvas was 22 by 16 inches. Prabha entered the art world when few Indian women were involved professionally, and worked on more than 50 exhibitions, inside and outside of India.
The auction’s list of top earners was not limited to India. An Impressionist harbor etching by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), depicting sailing vessels out at sea, signed by the artist with a monogram in image and in pencil in the lower right margin, just 5 by 6¾ inches, rose to $8,750.
An Impressionist coastline seascape by the Nineteenth Century American artist Chas. Turner, depicting large waves crashing over a rocky coast with sailboats and seagulls in the background, changed hands for $8,125. The oil on canvas work, measuring 14 by 20 inches, less the frame, was artist-signed and came out of a Pawtucket, R.I., collection.
Oil on canvas by B. Prabha (1933-2001), titled “Woman with a Pear Basket”, of an Indian woman with her hair tied back and long limbs supporting a basket of fruit realized $11,875.
A Nineteenth Century English School Realist rendering of a prize bull and heifer standing in a pasture, dated 1862, knocked down for $6,875. The animals were identified as “Ayrshire Lad” and “Miss Morton” within the image, which was 20 by 30 inches. The work was signed with a monogrammed “MW” and dated “July/62” in the lower left corner.
“What a thrill it was auctioneering the prize bull painting and Turner seascape,” said Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer. “It’s always nice when there are a few splendid surprises. The market proved strong during uneasy times. It truly was a great day.”
A large Macchia art glass vase by American glass sculptor Dale Chihuly (b 1941), organic folded form with earth tone brown and green splatter over a cream ground with yellow rim, 12¾ inches in height, went for $6,250. The vase was signed and dated “Chihuly 1982” on the bottom. Chihuly is well known for his extravagant glass sculptures displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and at Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle.
A contemporary watercolor on paper portrait painting by Akbar Padamsee (Indian, 1928-2020), depicting the face of a somber gentleman in soft sepia tones, commanded $6,250. The 22-by-15-inch (sheet) work was signed and dated “Padamsee 06” in the upper right corner. Padamsee was known for painting, film making, sculpture, photography and printmaking and is considered today to be one of the pioneers in modern Indian painting.
Prices given include he buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house.
Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers has two auctions coming fast on the heels of this one. The first is an online-only camera sale slated for Saturday, March 28, with bidding on several platforms with 600-plus vintage camera lots sold to the highest bidder without reserve. An originally planned live-only presale event will be rescheduled later as a standalone auction.
Then, on Saturday, April 4, a spring comic book and toy auction will be presented by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, Altered Reality Entertainment and Travis Landry, Bruneau & Co.’s director of pop culture, starting at 11 am Eastern time, live in the gallery and online. Featured will be comic books and a collection of tin keywind, friction and battery-op Japanese robots and tin toys.
For information, 401-533-9980 or www.bruneauandco.com.
