The three highest prices fetched by Indian paintings, incidentally, all came last year.

Late F.N. Souza’s ‘Birth’ set a new record in June 2008 when it happened to go under the hammer at Christie’s auction for 112m Indian rupees. The details of India’s most expensive paintings are as follows:

F N Souza ‘Birth’
Size 48 x 96 in
Oil on board
Price Rs 11,25,00,000

S. H. Raza ‘LA TERRE’
Size 74 x 74 in
Acrylic on Canvas
Price Rs 10,87,90,000

Tyeb Mehta Untitled
Size 59 x 47 in
Oil on Canvas
Price Rs 8,20,00,000

Tyeb Mehta ‘Mahisasura’
Size 59 x 48 in
Oil on Canvas
Price Rs 6,95,00,000

Amrita Shergil ‘Village Scene’
Price Rs 6,90,00,000

S H Raza ‘Tapovan’
Size 62 x 74 in
Acrylic on Canvas
Price Rs 6,56,00,000

VS Gaitonde Untitled
Price Rs 6,54,00,000

F N Souza ‘Lovers’
Size 48 x 72 in
Oil on Masonite
Price Rs 6,54,00,000

M.F. Husain ‘Battle of Ganga and Jamuna : Mahabharata’
Size 74 x 107 in
Oil on Canvas
Price Rs 6,50,00,000
F N Souza Untitled
Size 36 x 48 in
Oil
Price Rs 6,40,00,000