The much hyped exhibition “Agony and Ecstasy; Bronzes” by Indian artist Somnath Hore at Delhi’s Gallery Espace, which opened in October, was thrown into confusion last month with claims by the artist’s immediate family that most of the 22 works on display were fake. The gallery closed the exhibition on 7 November.
Somnath Hore (1921-2006) was a leading figure in Indian contemporary art. He started making bronze sculptures in the 1970s, after moving to the artists’ town of Santiniketan, near Calcutta. His works are characterised by uneven surfaces, rough textures, torn patches and holes.
The bronzes are particularly coveted and rare: in March, 2007 one fetched about $60,000, at an international auction. Of the 22 bronzes exhibited at Gallery Espace only a few were for sale, arousing interest from collectors and investors.
“As in every single case in the past, in addition to our in-house assessment, we consulted independent art experts. Our lawyers took adequate steps to confirm provenance, lineage and certification, for each work exhibited,” Renu Modi, director of Gallery Espace, told The Art Newspaper. It has been in business since 1989 and has long-standing relationships with many senior Indian artists. The gallery says the works came from Sugato Mazumdar, Hore’s nephew, who represents his mother and his aunts’ collections.
But Hore’s wife, Reba, aged 82, alleges that “one of the sculptures shown in the catalogue is actually with us, at home. Anyone is welcome to come and see it,” she says.
Her daughter, Chandana, adds: “My father had foresight and maintained a detailed hand-written register of his sculptures, noting the first recipient. He made only 215 bronzes in his lifetime and I have the register with me. [Espace] did not authenticate anything with us.” Ms Modi says: “To the best of our knowledge, there was no such register maintained by the late artist.”
Fakes of Hore’s works have surfaced before. In 2002, Hore took out advertisements in leading newspapers, warning collectors and inviting them to have him authenticate his works before buying.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Leading Indian sculptor’s show closed'