Arp And The Indian Market

Kept in the family of its first owner, this bronze by Jean Arp—which had never before been offered at auction—saw its price soar. This impressive result was, however, overshadowed by the remarkable momentum of Indian artists, who dominated the fiercest bidding wars.

Jean Arp’s bronze sculpture (reproduced in Gazette No.24) far exceeded its estimate of 250,000 to 350,000CHF, selling for 698,638CHF. This 1975 cast, numbered2/3, is believed to have been a gift from the artist to his friend and longtime patron, Marcel Joray. Joray had notably enabled Arp to participate in the Swiss Sculpture Exhibition—held in Biel in 1966—which he had initiated. Jean Arp had then gifted him several pieces intended as awards for the event’s winners. Having remained in Marcel Joray’s family ever since, the *Torse-Amphore* appeared on the market for the first time. A patron of the arts, publisher, and exhibition organizer, Marcel Joray founded Éditions du Griffon in 1944, which remains in operation today. However, the true highlight of the sale came from the Indian artists, confirming a trend widely discussed by market observers. Just as the auction seemed to be drawing to a close, several bidding wars extended it. An untitled oil painting by Sayed Haider Raza, painted in 1955 (55.9×38.6cm) and estimated at 80,000 to 120,000CHF, ultimately sold for 418,888CHF. This work belongs to the period that his friend Ram Kumar described as “strange fantasy,” characterized by vibrant blues and greens. The Indian segment as a whole reflected this momentum.Zarina’swoodcut*Letters from Home*, expectedto fetchbetween 40,000 and 60,000CHF, sold for 297,275CHF. One of twenty prints, this piece bears the number7 and, according to Artprice, represents the artist’s third-highest auction result to date, as well as a record for this series. Francis Newton Souza also shattered his estimate of 30,000–50,000€ with *Tête de femme*(1964), an oil on panel that sold for 283,763CHF. Finally, Arpita Singh (born in 1937) saw*The Golden Deer* (2004), a watercolor and gouache, sell for 48,645CHF. According to Artprice, her market value has been rising sharply since 2022: after annual sales that did not exceed 740,000€ until 2021, they jumped to 2.3M€ in 2022 and are already approaching one million euros for2026.