THE ART I AM BUYING NOW

Gallerist Parul Vadehra of the Vadehra Art Gallery tells us about the works catching her fancy at the moment

Most recently I have acquired a couple of l i mited- edition, hand- coloured, ornithological lithographs of JJ Audubon from 1840-44. A noted 19th century French-American naturalist and painter, Audubon is famous for his detailed illustrations of birds that were compiled in a colour-plate book The Birds of America, considered one of the most important ornithological works ever published.

I strongly feel that the works one collects must resonate personally with the collector and not merely be about accumulating the ‘correct’ names. My husband Aseem and I enjoy art across the genres, and also share a keen interest in science and nature; our Audubon works amalgamate these passions perfectly.

Being a gallerist and thus entrenched in the business of art, it is important for me to extensively research the works I acquire, most essentially to ensure their quality and provenance. For instance, while researching Audubon’s oeuvre, I found that there are various print editions available, a few completed under the direct supervision of the artist himself, and others released at a later stage by his family. It was crucial for me to buy the former, as they are historically more significant. Therefore, I sought out the reputed dealers that deal in them.

These recent acquisitions aside, in the Indian art scene I admire the work of the Modernist painter MF Husain and contemporary artists Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, and Shilpa Gupta. These artists, in their respective generations, have been thought-provoking in the subjects they have dealt with in their work, and have stretched the limits of the mediums they have used.