Rabindranath Tagore's 1937 masterpiece, "From Across the Dark", has fetched the record amount for the artist at Rs 10.73 crore at AstaGuru's recently concluded "Historic Masterpieces" auction.

The auction, running from December 14-17, registered 100 per cent sell-out rate with all 87 lots sold, fetching a sale value of more than Rs 163.65 crore. The top lot at the auction was Tyeb Mehta's "Untitled (Gesture)" that sold for approximately Rs 53.54 crore.

Tagore's work reflects his deep engagement with themes of darkness, light, grief, and consolation. "This work holds extraordinary historical and emotional resonance. Painted in June 1937 during the artist’s final and most creatively sustained sojourn in Almora, it reflects the introspective, atmospheric style characteristic of his late period. The imagery, a solitary figure seated low in darkness and another reaching out from the shadows, embodies the psychological intensity of this phase, shaped by age, solitude, and long acquaintance with personal loss," the auction house said in a statement.

Other prominent artists who created personal records at an auction include Krishen Khanna, Sadanand K Bakre, and Walter Langhammer.

Khanna's biblical theme engagement titled "The Last Supper" went under the hammer for more than Rs 10.22 crore. In his stunning interpretation, Khanna adds his distinct humanist and expressionist sensibility to one of the most iconic scenes in Western art.

A world record was also achieved for Bakre with a work titled "Monalisa" which sold for over Rs 2.30 crore. Executed in 1961, this rare figurative work occupies a distinctive position within Bakre’s predominantly abstract and landscape-driven oeuvre.

A luminous coastal panorama capturing old Bombay by Langhammer was sold for over Rs 56.96 lakh, the highest price ever achieved for a work by the artist.

"Featuring landmark works by pioneering modern Indian artists, the auction included several pieces appearing at auction for the first time.

"The strong response from collectors reaffirms the growing interest for modernist works that are new to the market and distinguished by exceptional provenance. The achievement of these records emphatically underscores AstaGuru’s dedication to showcasing the finest examples of Indian modernism," Manoj Mansukhani, director, Marketing at AstaGuru Auction House, said.

The line-up also showcased works by Indian modernists including Manjit Bawa, J Swaminathan, F N Souza, Jamini Roy, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Somnath Hore, Ram Kumar, K H Ara, Himmat Shah, and Ganesh Pyne.

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