Art’s Best-Kept Secret: 25 Rare M F Husain Paintings Set for Historic Auction

After years locked away in bank vaults, 25 rare paintings by legendary artist M F Husain are poised to make headlines as they go under the hammer, following a landmark nod from the Bombay High Court. These masterpieces, part of Husain’s ambitious “Our Planet Called Earth” (OPCE) series, will be auctioned on June 12 at Hamilton House, Mumbai, in a sale conducted by Pundole Art Gallery.

 

Key Highlights:

 

The 25 paintings were originally commissioned in 2003-2004 by industrialist Guru Swarup Srivastava, who tasked Husain with creating 100 works at ₹1 crore each. The series captures the essence of the 20th century, featuring themes from world wars and aviation to cinema, nature, and iconic personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin.

 

These artworks became entangled in a legal dispute after Srivastava’s Swarup Group defaulted on a ₹236 crore loan from NAFED. The paintings were seized as collateral and stored in a Mumbai bank vault for over two decades.

 

The Bombay High Court, in a February 2025 order, authorized the Sheriff of Mumbai to auction the paintings to recover dues. Art specialist Dadiba Pundole valued the collection at ₹25 crore.

 

The auction, titled “MF Husain: An Artist’s Vision of the XX Century,” will mark the first public display of these canvases in India since their brief international exhibitions in Dubai and Paris.

 

A preview of the collection will run from June 8-11, offering collectors and art lovers a rare glimpse into Husain’s creative genius before the historic sale.

 

Sources: Economic Times, The Telegraph, Indian Express