Tiba Mehta's painting titled 'Rickshaw Puller' was sold for a record 69.1 crore rupees at the debut Volte Una auction, setting a world sales record for the artist.
For a long time, the artist Tib Mehta lived in a small one-room apartment in Bombay, which served as both a studio during the day and a bedroom at night. Only in the 1990s were he and his wife Sakina able to move to a two-room apartment in Lokhandwala. Today, his works of art are achieving astonishing sums.
The latest painting, 'Rickshaw Puller,' painted in 2002, in the latter decade of Mehta's career, depicts a rickshaw puller—a figure to which he returned in his late work. This acrylic work on canvas attracted many buyers in the final minutes before the bidding closed.
The sale surpassed the previous record of 61.8 crore rupees, set by the painting 'Trussed Bull' in April 2025, making 'Rickshaw Puller' the fourth most valuable Indian artwork sold at the auction.
This record is particularly significant for an artist known for his high standards, as he regularly destroyed works he considered unworthy. It also marks an important start for Volte Una, a new auction house founded on an unusual concept: selling one major piece at a time, instead of offering several lots in a single sale.
The single-lot sales format is designed to give collectors sufficient time to study each work in detail before the bidding begins, emphasizing confidentiality and privacy. Tushar Jivardhikar, founder of Volte Una, stated: 'We are pleased to have presented Tiba Mehta's painting to the most serious and discreet collectors worldwide in a private setting.' He added that they implemented a business model allowing for a significant reduction in the traditional buyer's premium, returning these funds to sellers and successful buyers.
The next Volte Una auction is scheduled for late November and will feature a work by M. F. Hussain from the renowned Hervitz collection.