Tyeb Mehta's Rickshaw Puller sells for record Rs 69.1 crore at Volte Una auction
· Entertainment · Times of India, The Hindu
Tyeb Mehta's painting 'Rickshaw Puller' fetched Rs 69.1 crore at Volte Una's inaugural auction, setting a new world auction record for the artist. The sale surpassed Mehta's previous personal high of Rs 61.8 crore set by 'Trussed Bull' in April 2025. 'Rickshaw Puller' is now the fourth-most expensive Indian artwork ever sold at auction, behind Raja Ravi Varma and M F Husain's works. The painting, inspired by Mehta's childhood encounters with rickshaw pullers in Kolkata, depicts the physical exhaustion of hauling passengers through sweltering streets. Volte Una, a new auction house offering one major work at a time, reduced transaction costs by significantly cutting traditional buyer's premium. The format aims to give collectors private, focused engagement with each artwork before bidding.
Why it matters
The record sale highlights the growing global demand for modern Indian art and validates Tyeb Mehta's enduring market value. It also establishes Volte Una as a disruptive player in the auction sector with its private, single-lot model.
Read the original report — Times of India
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