Can a painting truly rewrite history? In India, it just did.
Raja Ravi Varma’s 19th-century masterpiece Yashoda and Krishna has smashed auction records.
It sold for a staggering 1.67 billion rupees ($17.9m) at a Saffronart event in Delhi.
It overtakes last year’s $13.8m record set by MF Husain.
Varma, born in 1848 in Kerala, is celebrated as a pioneer of modern Indian painting, blending European techniques with Indian storytelling.
This particular work, painted in the 1890s, captures a tender moment between the mischievous child Krishna and his caring foster mother Yashoda.
“Varma’s genius lies in this balance: the sacred rendered through the familiar,” notes the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation.
The textures, the soft gleam of silk and jewellery, the gentle cow—all make the scene devotional yet intimate.
Indian Art Record
The painting was snapped up by billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla, founder of the Serum Institute of India.
He called it a “national treasure” and promised to make it accessible to the public.
Experts say this record isn’t just about nostalgia—it signals a maturing Indian art market.
Ashish Anand of DAG explains, “Collectors are recognising both its cultural and financial value… the best works are now commanding extraordinary prices.”
With exclusivity driving demand and mythology gaining serious global attention.
Could we be witnessing the dawn of Indian art as a major investment arena?
One thing’s clear: Krishna and Yashoda just made history again—this time in the marketplace.
