If there is one image that encapsulates both agony and transcendence in Indian modern art, it is Tyeb Mehta’s Trussed Bull. Painted in 1956, this oil-on-canvas has now charged into the record books, fetching ₹61.8 crore at Saffronart’s 25th Anniversary Live Sale in Mumbai on April 2, 2025. With this sale, Mehta’s work shares the second-place position for the most expensive Indian artwork ever auctioned, standing shoulder to shoulder with Amrita Sher-Gil’s The Storyteller, which fetched the same price in September 2023.
Saffronart’s auction also saw an array of works breaching price expectations, culminating in a total sale value of ₹217.81 crore: the highest ever recorded for South Asian art. The crown, however, remains with MF Husain’s Untitled (Gram Yatra), which sold for a staggering ₹118 crore at Christie’s in New York last month.
What Is the Painting About?
For those familiar with Mehta’s oeuvre, the trussed bull is an image that recurs in his work, carrying with it layers of meaning. It is at once an embodiment of helplessness and rage, a symbol of human subjugation and the raw, unyielding energy that seeks release. Mehta first encountered the motif in 1954 at the British Museum in London, where he saw an Egyptian bas-relief of a bound bull. The image lodged itself in his consciousness, later morphing into a powerful metaphor in his art.
The artist has lived through the violence of Partition, once recounted a haunting memory from his youth: witnessing a man being slaughtered on the street. That trauma, along with a broader existential unrest, found its way into his canvases.
His works (often featuring flailing figures, fragmented bodies, and taut energy) capture an intense inner turmoil. The record-breaking sale of Trussed Bull is yet another reminder of Tyeb Mehta’s enduring legacy. In the crowded auction room where bids soared and collectors vied for a piece of history, it wasn’t just a painting that was being sold... it was a fragment of India’s collective memory.
Who Was Tyeb Mehta?
Born in 1925 in Kapadvanj, Gujarat, Tyeb Mehta was a central figure in the Progressive Artists’ Group (a collective that sought to revolutionize Indian art in the post-independence era). His journey in art was one of continual evolution. While he began with an academic grounding at the JJ School of Art, he soon turned towards Modernism, drawn to its Post-Impressionist colours, Cubist distortions, and expressionistic urgency. His later years were marked by a body of work that cemented his place among India’s most celebrated modernists.
Among his most significant paintings was the triptych Celebration, which sold for ₹1.5 crore at a Christie’s auction back in 2002, becoming the most expensive Indian painting at an international auction at the time. It also set off what would later be known as the great Indian art boom.
Other landmark works in his oeuvre include the Diagonal Series, the Santiniketan Triptych, Kali, and Mahishasura (1996), each bearing his distinctive style of sharp lines, striking contrasts, and fragmented forms that capture both tension and transcendence.
Though Mumbai remained his home for most of his life, Mehta’s time in London, New York, and Santiniketan had an impact on his artistic vision. Each city added new layers to his approach: London exposed him to Francis Bacon’s raw intensity, New York gave him Abstract Expressionism’s unrestrained dynamism, and Santiniketan brought him closer to Indian philosophy and mythology.
For his contributions to Indian art, Mehta was honoured with numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 2007. His passing on July 2, 2009, following a heart attack in a Mumbai hospital, marked the end of an era. He left behind a legacy carried forward by his wife, Sakina, his children, Yusuf and Himani, and a generation of artists who continue to be inspired by his vision.
Artist's Signature Style
Mehta's work was influenced by both European modernism and Indian themes, leading to a signature style characterized by bold colours, sharp diagonals, and emotionally charged imagery. His figures often appear suspended in a moment of tension, their forms simplified yet brimming with meaning. His fascination with the diagonal line became a defining feature, as seen in his Diagonal Series, where he used a single slash to bisect figures. This stark, almost sculptural approach gave his paintings a sense of frozen dynamism.
Apart from his bulls, Mehta’s visual lexicon included falling figures, rickshaw-pullers, and mythological characters like Kali and Durga, all painted with an intensity that reflected his personal and historical anxieties. His Kali (1989) was the first Indian painting to cross the million-dollar mark at an auction, cementing his place in global art history.
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