Of works by eminent artists such as SH Raza, Jamini Roy and Tyeb Mehta. on a variety of themes (from the Buddha to nature, cityscapes of Banaras, abstract art, portraits of women and scenes of everyday life) by young, emerging and mid-level artists from a
features multiple award-winning photographers including wildlife photographer SS Raviprakash.
On Artenthuse, you will also find works by artists from non-metros and towns such as Durgapur in West Bengal and Majuli and Dibrugarh in Assam.
Srujan Deshpande, a 19-year-old selftaught artist from Pune offers his paintings on rent via Dancing Walls, and has seen 15 works find takers over the past two years. “If you are not an established artist, it’s difficult to be noticed. Here, I get exposure and a steady income,” he says.
There are certain terms for renting an art work. Buyers need to pay a deposit and sign an agreement that states the charges – based on the nature of the artwork and rental tenure – in case the work is damaged, lost or stolen.
“We charge a refundable deposit at the time of order placement to offset any damage,” says Aagam Mehta, co-founder of Floating Canvas Co. Paintings also need to be maintained, so platforms like Ashvita’s also offer advisory services, from research on an artist to maintenance advice.
Its online auction raised a total of
₹20 lakh from its 65 lots. TRP Mookiah’s painting, Mother & Child, fetched ₹6.6 lakh (including buyer’s premium). Sepia-toned photographs of 1930s Chennai sold at
₹5,000 each.
“Unlike a fine-art auction, where there are typically three or four bids per lot, this auction got 16 to 20 bids per lot,” says Rajagopalan. “We were expecting buyers only from Chennai, but received bids from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and New York too. This shows that if you price the art correctly, you get more visibility.”
An upcoming modern and contemporary Indian art sale later this month steps it up considerably. Works by SH Raza, Manjit Bawa and FN Souza will be on the block, at estimates ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹6 lakh.
“Though these are high-end artists, the price points are lower to provide access to beginners and new collectors who wish to start small,” says Rajagopalan.