All the art auctions you can look forward to in the upcoming weeks

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Indian and international collectors seemingly strong appetite for acquiring premium works of art will be tested in the coming weeks, when more than 250 modern and contemporary artworks by India's most celebrated artists go under the gavel in the latest auction season. The sale catalogues of Saffronart, Christie's and Sotheby's bring forth astounding, bold collections of historical significance, which are expected to fire up bidding frenzies at auctions, widely accepted as a barometer of the health of the art market.

The curtain rises with Saffronart's evening sale in New Delhi, which features 87 lots of outstanding quality and provenance. The centerpiece of the sale is a monumental canvas by Akbar Padamsee, titled Greek Landscape from 1960. The historically important, imagined cityscape marked a shift in Padamsee's oeuvre—surrendering the rich colour palette of his early years for shades of grey that he painted between 1959 and 1960. Greek Landscape is one of only four large-scale works from this period. Its rarity value is enhanced by the fact that the painting is entering the auction market for the first time. Another extraordinary painting at this auction is a seminal canvas by Nasreen Mohamedi, whose meditative and sensitive approach to abstraction made her practice epochal. Mohamedi's exhibition at the Met Breuer in New York this year cemented her place as one of the most significant minimalist artists globally.

The Asian Art Week in New York in mid September will coincide with Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art auction on September 14. The auction presents 103 lots by leading modern Indian masters. The cover of the catalogue is a museum-worthy painting by Gaitonde dated 1970, originally from the collection of the late Dr Jamshed Bhabha. The painting is a testament to the artist's meticulous mastery over form, light and colour. Lots from contemporary blue-chip stars like Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta and A Balasubramiam also find a place in this sale, with a clear intention of pushing the top end of the contemporary market back in the arena.

Sotheby's will showcase its key artworks from its forthcoming auction of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art this weekend in Mumbai. The sale takes place mid-October in London, bringing never-before-seen works from private collections in Europe and America, including prominent works by Abdur Rahman Chughtai, FN Souza and VS Gaitonde, along with internationally celebrated artist of Indian origin Raqib Shaw, whose works have been acquired by prestigious museums worldwide. An epic painting by the maverick Souza, titled The Deposition: Burial of Christ from 1963 which encapsulates a sympathetic portrayal of Christ's agony, is the highlight of this sale. This powerful painting was celebrated on the cover of Studio International Art magazine in 1964 and represents the pinnacle of Souza's practise from his years in London.

Traditionally, strong sales of modern masterpieces could mean a record-setting season for the auction houses. All three auction houses are pulling out all stops to ensure that the coming season is successful. Pre-sale estimates are at fair levels throughout the sale catalogues, but as always, the bidders will ultimately determine the works' market value.

Farah Siddiqui is an independent art curator and consultant.