Souza, S.H. Tyeb Mehta’s painting from 1999, Untitled (Falling Bull) is a virtuosic celebration of the iconic subjects and symbols that embody the oeuvre of this modern master. He asked me if ‘Mahishasura’ was my favourite Tyeb work. ... Celebration, a large canvas triptych, became the … Tyeb Mehta Untitled (Figure on Rickshaw) oil on canvas 59 x 47 in. In 2005, he secured a place in the history of the art market by becoming the first Indian artist to have a work sell for over a million dollars. Celebrations, a chocolate collection made by Mars, Inc. Star Wars Celebration, an official Star Wars convention; Celebration, a Holiday Class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Lines Thereafter, he visited the New York City, when he was awarded a fellowship from the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund in 1968. He was associated with the Progressive Artist’s Group and studied painting at the Sir J.J. School of Art. He died on 2 July 2009 at a Mumbai hospital following a heart attack. Celebration, a triptych by the veteran artist from the collection of the Times of India Group, is the highlight He liked ‘Mahishasura’ but couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. As a young journalist at Reuters in 2002, I remember the front page making prominent mention of an artist named Tyeb Mehta. Painted in 1984 Courtesy: christies.com Tyeb Mehta Celebration Triptych Acrylic … He was elated to hear my reply. In fact, when Tyeb Mehta moved to Delhi from London, it was Virender who gave him a small place to stay in exchange for a work of art every month. (240 x 510 cm.) [10] During the years the artist spent in London, Mehta's style was influenced by the expressionist works of Francis Bacon, but while in New York his work came to be characterised by minimalism. [3] He stayed and worked in Mumbai for much of his life, except for three spells at London, New York, and Santiniketan, each having a distinct impact upon his work. It coincided with the launch of a book on his entire career. The privilege had not been accorded to any other work of art in a very long time by the … In 2002, he purchased Tyeb Mehta’s Celebration, which, at $317,500 (approximately ₹2.3 crore), set a record for the highest price ever paid at auction at the time for an Indian painting. As a young man, he witnessed firsthand the violence that accompanied India’s partition, an event that was pivotal in the formation of his artistic vision. He is the inspiration and guide for many artist of the younger generation, making him a kind of national hero. I couldn’t imagine how someone that soft-spoken and gentle could create works pulsating with such forceful, violent energy. His paintings were mostly about falling figures, Kolkata’s manual rickshaw-pullers and the trussed bull. So harsh was he on himself that if a painting he’d created didn’t match his standards, he would destroy the entire canvas. [14] In May 2005, his painting Kali sold for 10 million Indian rupees (approximately equal to 230,000 US dollars) at Indian auction house Saffronart's online auction. (This article was first published on 7 July 2015, and has been reposted from The Quint’s archives on the birth anniversary of Tyeb Mehta.). Common themes of his works were trussed bulls, the rickshaw puller, from here he moved to the Diagonal series, which he created through the 1970s, after accidentally discovering it in 1969, when in a moment of creative frustration he flung a black streak across his canvas. That was the clincher. True to his innate sense of self, he continued to spend months on one work, living with it, analysing it, criticising it and finally deciding whether to complete or destroy it totally. He liked keeping his works minimal. Later, he received his diploma from Sir J. J. Souza, S.H. That single event became the turning point for Indian art. The hammer fell at Christie's in New York, fixing the price at US $317,500 for Tyeb Mehta's triptych Celebration, and art lovers everywhere opened their eyes a little wider—to take a closer look at this masterpiece, reproduced on the front page of The Times of India on September 24, 2002. During the years the artist spent in London, Mehta's style was influenced by the expressionist works of Francis Bacon, but while in New York his work came to be characterised by minimalism. There was a brief lull till another Tyeb painting ensured the Indian art market broke into the million-dollar club – effectively putting India on the global art map. At 22 years, during the partition riots of 1947 in Mumbai, while staying at Lehri House, Mohammed Ali Road, he witnessed a man being stoned to death by a mob, this he not only expressed in a drawing but it was to have lasting impact on his work, leading to stark and often disturbing depiction of his subjects. Among his most noted later paintings were his triptych Celebration, which when sold for Rs 15 million ($317,500) at a Christie's auction in 2002, was not only the highest sum for an Indian painting at an international auction, but also triggered the subsequent great Indian art boom;[citation needed] his other noted works were the 'Diagonal Series', Santiniketan triptych series, Kali, Mahishasura (1996). (figure 8) Tyeb Mehta, Untitled (Lovers) from the Diagonal Series. Famous for his Mahishasuras and falling figures, Mehta’s images speak of unspeakable violence and torment. Tyeb Mehta (25 July 1925 – 2 July 2009) was an Indian painter. [15] A reinterpretation of the tale of demon Mahishasura by Mehta showing goddess Durga locked in an embrace with the demon sold for $1.584 million. Celebration, by Tyeb Mehta; Celebration, Florida, a community in the United States, originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. Mehta would show violence quite frequently in his work – but it was not because he was fascinated by it. Tyeb’s auction records since have been unconstrained. He held the record for the highest price for which an Indian painting has ever been sold, in a public auction. Tyeb Mehta’s Untitled, 1974, the other artwork estimated to fetch seven figures ($1 million - $1.5 million), returns to auction after 17 years, when it was sold for a tenth, $122,580. Tyeb Mehta The man who celebrated Mahishasura and torched a new high at Christie’s with Times of India’s Celebration. His voice was affected by thethroat operations he’d undergone but the language of his brush continued to produceworks that haven’t quenched the blue chip art market’s hunger even today. In 2002, Mehta made history when his 1995 triptych Celebration sold for 300,000 dollars at a Christie’s auction—at the time, this was the highest price a painting by an Indian artist had sold for. [19], Artist Tyeb Mehta dies after long illness, Tyeb Mehta, who weaved metaphor into images passes away, Tyeb Mehta was Indias most expensive living artist, also its finest, 10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T056541, "Christie's First India Auction Offers Lots from The Gandhys' Collection", "Indian Artist Enjoys His World Audience", "Tyeb Mehta painting fetches $1.54 million", "Tyeb Mehta, Painter of Emerging India, Dies at 84", "Tyeb Mehta painting sold for Rs. [9], He left for London in 1959, where he worked and lived till 1964. Souza, S.H. The canvases of Celebration are divided in sharp angles of solid colour. He spent most of his life in the suburbs of Mumbai, including his final days. Souza, S.H. Tyeb Mehta is going under the hammer. Raza and M.F. On July 2, 2009, Tyeb Mehta suffered a massive cardiac arrest and eventually breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital. He was part of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which included F.N. Death & Legacy. 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