The legacy of Zainul Abedin, the revered Bangladeshi artist known as Shilpacharya, has just reached new heights in the international art market. A painting by the art maestro has fetched a record price of US $692,048, the highest for any Bangladeshi artist. At the "Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art" auction, organised by Sotheby's in New York on Thursday (September 26), Abedin's painting "Untitled" was sold for US $692,048, or approximately Tk 8.
27 crore. This marks the highest price ever paid for a Bangladeshi artwork at auction. The piece, described as 'ink and wash on paper', was gifted by Abedin to Cedomil Plazek, a hydrogeologist who lived in Dhaka while working for the United Nations.
Signed and dated by the artist in 1970, the painting reflects Abedin's mastery and significance in the global art world. Sotheby's, which was founded in London nearly 300 years ago and is now headquartered in New York, revealed that another of Abedin's works also garnered a record price at the auction. "Untitled (Group of Figures)", another gift to Plazek, sold for US $643,690—roughly Tk 7.
69 crore. This oil-on-canvas painting, signed and dated 'Zainul 71', was executed in 1971. According to Sotheby's, Plazek, who befriended Abedin while working on groundwater projects in Bangladesh, received both paintings as personal gifts.
The deep connection between the two men and Abedin's generous spirit is reflected in these treasured pieces that have now found a place in art history through t.