Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Modern Contemporary Fine Arts | October 2018

112 OSIAN’s – Connoisseurs of Art The Art & Artifacts Family Collection of Shri Moti Lal & Prem Lata Devi Agarwal, Hyderabad However it is their magnificent collection of M.F. Husain paintings, built up since the 1950s, which rivals the very best international collections in the Indian art world. Each painting has been purchased directly from the artist over the past sixty years by the family. In Hyderabad, there were four great patrons of art and Husain - Badrivishal Pittie, Syed Nadir A. Khan, Nawab Kazim Nawaz ‘Ali Pasha’ Jung and Shri Moti Lal Agarwal, who sustained M.F. Husain and a few other artists during the 1960-80s period until the public auction market emerged and started to stabilise post the late 1990s. M.F. Husain with Ramlal Agarwal and son Owais Husain in front of the famous 1936 Convertible Cadillac which once drove PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, C. Rajagopalachari and others to their official ceremonies, now part of the Agarwal Family Collection of vintage and classic automobiles. Lot 57 M.F. Husain Lot 56 M.F. Husain Lots 24, 27, 47, 56 & 57 Artworks from the Agarwal Family Collection included in this auction The Agarwal Family have been important collectors and patrons of art, antiques, architecture and vintage automobiles since the 1950s. ShriMoti Lal Agarwal built the acclaimed three storied art-deco residence Shri Ram Building at Khairtabad which also served as the location for their famous Ram Pratap Ram Lal Petrol Pump. The building has won various awards, including the 2011 INTACH Heritage Award, while housing some of the finest vintage and classic automobiles such as the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, Wolseley and various Cadillacs. Upon every trip of the artist to Hyderabad, his second home, especially during the 1960s and then later during the 1980s, Husain would visit the Agarwal’s and their famous petrol pump in his personally painted multi-coloured 1950s “centerlight” Fiat, where he would drink his Irani chai at the Omega Cafe, and thereafter sell a painting or two as per his needs. It was so simple in those days where a handful of collector-patrons kept the very small modern art market simmering. Husain was probably the only artist in India who had the power and ability to sell directly to collectors across the country, nurturing many of them with his unique charm, creative energy and confidence, which also led to him having a slew of galleries and gallery owners representing him across India, unlike no other artist. However, he always maintained a very strong and direct relationship with his key patrons, hence maintaining his independence and freedom from any dependency. This was a long fought and difficult journey, which is why so many artists swore by the support and help Husain provided them by introducing their works to his famous collectors from Hyderabad to Bombay, Ahmedabad to Calcutta. Sustaining this journey was made all the more possible because somany of his key artworks had two to four variations, and hence the dual power base of Bombay and Hyderabad grew with equal strength and the satisfaction of owning an important collection. Lot 24 K.K. Hebbar Lot 27 F.N. Souza The Award Winning 1915 Wolseley Golfer’s Coupe which is part of the Agarwal Family Collection