The Story Teller (painting)

The Story Teller is a 1937 oil on canvas painting, painted by Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil.[1] The painting set a record as the highest-priced Indian artwork globally.[1] Sher-Gil was the first Asian artist to win a gold medal in painting at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.[2] She played a significant role in shaping the authentic voice and vision of modern Indian painting.[3]

Background

Amrita Sher-Gil (30 January 1913 – 5 December 1941) was a Hungarian-Indian painter, born to an Indian father and Hungarian mother. She gained recognition during her lifetime as a preeminent avant-garde female artist for her body of work.[1] The Story Teller is one of the 12 works personally chosen by Sher-Gil as her most significant piece, and is widely regarded as one of her most sincere and expressive compositions.[1] Some of her other renowned female portraits include works such as Young Girls (1932), Three Girls (1935), Hill Women (1935), and Women on the Charpai (1940).[1]Sher-Gil's painting The Story Teller is signed and dated 1937.[1] It blends elements of Pahari and Parisian influences.[2]

External image
image icon The Story Teller, 1937, oil on canvas, Private collection

Description

The painting captures a cozy domestic moment within the confines of a rural village dwelling. A lady is seated on a traditional cot, engaged in storytelling with a gathering of village women seated on the floor. Nearby, a cow and its calf peacefully graze, while a gentleman discreetly observes the scene from a doorway. It was within this artwork that Sher-Gil first ventured into the realm of depicting animals, a creative choice that soon became a recurring theme in her artistic repertoire.[4]

Sales record

Sayed Haider Raza's acrylic on canvas Gestation (1989) set a new record, selling for ₹51.75 crore at Pundole Auction House seven years after his passing. This marked it as the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at that time.[5] Sher-Gil's The Story Teller achieved a notable auction price of Rs 61.8 crore, surpassing Gestation to claim the title of the highest-priced Indian artwork ever sold globally.[1][6] It was featured in Saffronart's Evening Sale: Modern Art, alongside over 70 works by celebrated artists like M. F. Husain, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Jamini Roy, and F. N. Souza.[1]

References
  1. "Amrita Sher-gil's 'The Story teller' is now the most expensive Indian painting! Oil on canvas masterpiece fetches Rs 61.8 cr at Delhi auction". The Economic Times. 2023-09-19. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  2. "Most expensive Indian painting: Amrita Sher-Gil's 'The Story Teller' fetches record-high price". Hindustan Times. 2023-09-18. Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  3. Indian & Foreign Review 1972-05-01: Vol 9 Iss 14. Internet Archive. Indian Foreign Review. 1972-05-01. p. 13.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Dalmia, Yashodhara (2013-01-15). Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-921-1. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  5. Maddox, Georgina (2023-09-07). "The hammer has spoken | S.H. Raza's Gestation is the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  6. "Amrita Sher-Gil's 'The Story Teller' becomes the most expensive Indian artwork sold at auction". cnbctv18.com. 2023-09-18. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
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