Zainul Abedin's painting fetches over $600,000 at Sotheby's auction

'Shilpacharya' Zainul Abedin's painting has fetched a record price of $692,048 at Sotheby's auction on Thursday (26 September), the highest for any Bangladeshi artist.

At the end of the auction titled "Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art" in New York, Abedin's painting "Untitled", which was a gift from the artist to Cedomil Plazek, was sold for 516,000 GBP, or $692,048, or around Tk8.27 crore.

As per the description, it is 'ink and wash on paper', signed and dated 'Zainul / 1970' and stamped lower right, and executed in 1970.

Sotheby's auction results reveal another one of his paintings was also sold for record prices, "Untitled (Group of Figures)", also a gift from the artist to Cedomil Plazek, a hydrogeologist and representative of Geotehnika Yugoslavia for the United Nations. It was sold for 480,000 GBP, or $643,690, or around Tk7.69 crore.

Sotheby's, which was founded in London close to 300 years ago but is now headquartered in New York, recently organised the auction where these paintings were auctioned at record prices.

It's oil on canvas, signed and dated 'Zainul. 71' lower right, and painted in 1971.

The third painting, "Untitled (Figures)" was sold for 216,000 GBP, or $289,663, or Tk3.46 crore.

It's an ink and pencil on paper, signed, dated and inscribed 'Zainul / 25/5/70 / Jordon .' lower right, and executed in 1970.