Skip to main content

luxetrope.com

Navratna Artists Show Strong Auction Demand in 2025

Jamini Roy dominates lots while Ravi Varma and Sher-Gil drive high-value sales among the nine icons

Roerich artwork
NICHOLAS ROERICH | Himalayas | 18.3 x 30.8 in | Tempera on canvas | Circa 1940 | Sold in 2022 by AstaGuru for ₹5,50,06,969 ($6,25,079)

The Navratna artists—Raja Ravi Varma, Amrita Sher-Gil, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Sailoz Mookherjea, and Nicholas Roerich—continue commanding reverence in 2025 auctions. Key turnover figures spotlight their market pull.

Sher-Gil led with ₹37.52 crore total turnover at auction in 2025. Raja Ravi Varma followed, generating ₹23.94 crore ($2.72 million) from just seven lots sold, nearly 60 per cent exceeding ₹1 crore. Rabindranath Tagore achieved ₹14.78 crore from only five lots. Jamini Roy claimed 52% share of all Navratna lots at auction that year, with 91 works sold.

Lot-wise breakup for 2025 reveals the spread: Nicholas Roerich at 14 lots, Sailoz Mookherjea at 4, Gaganendranath Tagore at 5, Abanindranath Tagore at 4, Raja Ravi Varma at 7, Amrita Sher-Gil at 25, Rabindranath Tagore at 5, and Nandalal Bose at 20.

These results affirm the Navratna artists as consistently sought-after assets with competitive bidding and long-term value retention as the Indian art market matures.

Read the full story in the premiere issue of LuxeTrope, on stands now.

Read More

For anyone entering the world of international art, the smartest first step is often the simplest one

Ten artists established new auction records, with bidding pushing several works well beyond their estimates and previous market highs

The auction saw competitive bidding across Indian masters; here are the top-performing lots

Sachdeva's philosophy is simple: don’t treat your walls like a portfolio—the real value lies in the joy of living with art that speaks to you

Contemporary Indian art is gaining fresh momentum, with a new generation of collectors driving stronger auction results

Lokhande’s auction trail from 2021 to 2025 shows a gradual build