The Story Teller is a 1937 oil painting on canvas by Hungarian-born Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941). The painting set a record as the highest-priced Indian artwork sold at auction globally. Sher-Gil was the first Asian artist to win a gold medal in painting at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. She played a significant role in shaping the authentic voice and vision of modern Indian painting.
Background
Amrita Sher-Gil (30 January 1913 – 5 December 1941) was a Hungarian-Indian painter, born to an Indian father and Hungarian mother. She gained recognition during her lifetime as an innovative female artist for her body of work. The Story Teller is one of the 12 works personally chosen by Sher-Gil as her most significant piece, and is widely regarded as one of her most sincere and expressive compositions. Some of her other renowned female portraits include Young Girls (1932), Three Girls (1935), Hill Women (1935), and Women on the Charpai (1940). Sher-Gil's painting The Story Teller is signed and dated 1937. It blends elements of Pahari and Parisian influences.
Description
The painting measures 59cm by 79cm.
The painting captures a cozy domestic moment within the confines of a rural village dwelling. A lady is seated on a traditional cot, engaged in storytelling with a gathering of village women seated on the floor. Nearby, a cow and its calf peacefully graze, while a gentleman discreetly observes the scene from a doorway. It was within this artwork that Sher-Gil first ventured into the realm of depicting animals, a creative choice that soon became a recurring theme in her artistic repertoire.
Exhibits
The painting was first displayed in November 1937 at Faletti's Hotel in Lahore, British India. There, it was bought by Badruddin Tyabji.
Sales record
Sayed Haider Raza's acrylic on canvas Gestation (1989) set a new record, selling for ₹51.75 crore at Pundole Auction House seven years after his passing. This marked it as the most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction at that time. Sher-Gil's The Story Teller achieved a notable auction price of Rs 61.8 crore, surpassing Gestation to set a record as the highest-priced Indian artwork sold at auction globally as of 2023. That was equivalent to $7.45m. It was featured in Saffronart's Evening Sale: Modern Art, alongside over 70 works by celebrated artists including M. F. Husain, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Jamini Roy, and F. N. Souza.