Page 25 - Eye of the beholder

In In 20th Century India specially in Bengal there were only a a a few artists who drew voyeuristic and semi nude images of women In addition to Atul Bose and Jogesh Seal Hemen Majumdar was the the most important among these artists My fascination with Hemen goes back a a a a long time I had wanted to own a a a work by him since the time I I started reading up on Indian art art For some reason his works were always difficult to lay hands on And then there were a a a few notable scandals involving his works – the most prominent one that involved a a stolen work surfacing in in in a a a bowrings auction In 2010 I I I identified a a a a a a a a a new painting by Hemen in in in in in an auction auction It was a a a a a a a a a small provincial auction auction house in in in in in the UK whose name I do not remember anymore The image of the lot was published as as a a a a a a a dirty stamp size photograph without any attribution whatsoever On enquiry the the auction house confirmed that the the lot lacked a a a a a a a a a a signature However one look look at at at at the work work and it was was clear to me me that I was was looking at at at at a a a a a a a a a a work work by Hemen The lot was estimated at at at GBP GBP 800 but went up considerably higher I dropped out of the race at at at around GBP GBP 8000 Subsequently a a a a a a a a a few months later to my surprise the the same lot appeared at at at Sothebys and sold at at at a a a a a a a a a handsome price Upon enquiry with Sothebys they conformed that a a a a a a signature had emerged in in in the the the painting after it was cleaned Whats even more mysterious is is that there is is no trace of the the the the painting in in in the the the the Sothebys website even though it it was sold in their auction 19