Raja Ravi Varma’s untitled painting of Tilottama sold for Rs 5.17 crore at Sotheby’s New York sale of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, fetching more than its upper estimate of Rs 3.90 crore. Among the handful of Raja Ravi Varma works to appear at international auctions, the painting features a celestial nymph from Hindu mythology, who embodies the “nearly perfect being”. According to Hindu mythology, Tilottama, was created at Brahma’s request to destroy two demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda, who could not be killed by anyone except themselves. According to Hindu mythology, Tilottama, was created at Brahma’s request to destroy two demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda, who could not be killed by anyone except themselves. The artist strove to impart the extreme desirability that led to the demon brothers downfall.

Source: Hindustan Times March 22, 2018 10:41 UTC