LONDON.- Paintings by masters of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art forms a significant part of Bonhams Islamic and Indian sale in London on October 7th. This carefully curated selection of 21 lots showcases work by leading modern artists from India and Pakistan.

The auction is led by two beautiful oil paintings by Francis Newton Souza from the collection of Arnold Burton, son of the entrepreneur behind the Burton clothing empire, and Barbara Burton, his art connoisseur wife. Two early examples of Souza’s work, Lot 412, Still Life of Kitchen Implements and a Chicken on a Table, Estimate £70,000 – £100,000 and Lot 413, Red House on a Back Drop of Trees, Estimate £10,000 – £15,000, purchased directly from the artist by Barbara Burton, have never before been seen at auction and are archetypal of Souza at the height of his prowess.

The section also features an extremely rare work by Sadequain, Lot 415, Untitlted, estimate £20,000 - £30,000, from 1959. There is a limited body of work from this period despite it being the most formative for his well-known 1960s style. Still in its original frame, the poetic and captivating self portrait gives us a personal insight into a notoriously private man who went on to become one of the most internationally renowned Pakistani artists.

Lot 416 is the exquisite ‘Heraldic Birds’ by Jehangir Sabavala, estimate £50,000 – £70,000, a striking oil on board painting of an anthropomorphic griffin-like bird. The ethereal painting is a fine example of Sabavala’s shift from cubist realism to entirely non figurative work.

This sale is curated by the newly appointed Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art specialist, Tahmina Ghaffar. With an emphasis on highly selective works and excellent provenance, Bonhams maintains its position as innovators in the Modern and Contemporary South Asian art category.