Private Collection (sold at Christie’s, New York, 2026).
Location History:
The painting was originally in a private collection and was later offered for sale at Osian’s Auction House, Mumbai, on 19 January 2008 (Lot 2). It was subsequently acquired by a private collector and remained in that collection until it was sold at Christie’s, New York, on 25 March 2026 (Lot 219). It is currently held in a private collection following the Christie’s auction.
The provenance of Pestonjee Bomanjee’s Untitled (Portrait of a Parsi Gentleman) provides valuable insight into the painting's passage through the art market and its continued recognition as an important example of Indian academic realism. This painting was painted in 1924, at the end of Bomanjee’s career, when he had already established himself as one of India's leading portrait painters. Although the identity of the original owner has not been publicly documented, it is believed that the portrait remained in private hands for many years after its creation.
The first publicly recorded provenance was at the Ossian Auction House in Mumbai, where the painting was put up for sale as the second lot on January 19, 2008. Osian's is one of India's leading auction houses specializing in Indian art, and the inclusion of this painting in its catalog reflects its artistic and historical significance. Following this auction, the painting was purchased by a private collector. During this period, the work was outside the collections of public museums, but remained part of a private art collection, thus preserving its excellent condition and historical value.
The work was then sold by Christie's, one of the world's most famous auction houses, and re-entered the international art market. This work was exhibited as Lot 219 at the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art Auction held in New York on March 25, 2026. Christie's included the known history of its ownership, recording the painting as an oil on canvas created in 1924 and linking it to Ossian's previous sale. The auction renewed interest in Bomanjee’s work among scholars and collectors, underscoring the enduring appreciation of his realistic portraiture among audiences around the world.
After the painting was sold at Christie's, it entered another private collection, where it remains today. Although no longer housed in a public museum, a documented auction history clearly establishes its provenance. The painting's passage from private ownership to a major auction house and then back to a private collection reflects its importance in Indian art history and attests to Pestonjee Bomanjee’s enduring legacy as one of the pioneers of academic portraiture in India.
The provenance account of Pestonjee Bomanjee’s Untitled (Portrait of a Parsi Gentleman) provides a useful record of its movement through the Indian and international art market. However, the account has some limitations. The identity of the original owner is not documented, and the claim that the painting remained in private hands for many years is presented without supporting evidence. Similarly, statements about its “excellent condition,” “historical value,” and “artistic significance” are evaluative and would require conservation records, auction descriptions, or scholarly references for verification. The provenance becomes more reliable from 2008 onward, with the documented Osian auction and the later Christie’s sale. The 2026 Christie’s listing provides stronger evidence for the work’s medium, date, and previous auction history. Nevertheless, the account would benefit from precise sale prices, catalogue references, ownership dates, and archival documentation. Overall, it establishes a partial but credible provenance while clearly distinguishing documented auction history from assumptions about earlier ownership.
