ART
Auction frenzy for Indian painting
British Library paintings could surge in value after The Taj Mahal by Moonlight sold for more than ten times its valuation
The Taj Mahal by Moonlight was painted in 1815 by Sita Ram for the Marquess of Hastings
SOTHEBY’S
At the end of last month, something unusual happened at Sotheby’s. A painting that had been valued at £30,000 started to attract fierce interest. When bidding was opened, the price crept up and up and, when the hammer came down, the price was £482,600 — more than ten times its valuation.
The painting in question was an example of the Company School of Indian colonial art, and the sale has highlighted a recent, curious surge in that sector of the art world. What is more, it has the potential to benefit some notable owners in Britain.
“This has been a gradual development,” said Rukmani Kumari Rathore, Sotheby’s classical Indian art specialist. “The market is very strong for Company School paintings. We have a lot of
