Souza's 1955 art work fetches record price at Christie's auction

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According to Hugo Weihe, Christie's international director of Asian art and Yamini Mehta, head of sale, the price is a new record for the artist and "for any Indian Modern and Contemporary work of art."

The painting, titled 'Birth,' fetched more than M.F. Husain's Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12 (1972), which was sold for $1.6 million in March this year or Tyeb Mehta's 'Mahisasura,' which was the first to break the million dollar-mark by selling for $1.6 million in 2005.

Souza, famous for his bold compositions, was the founder of a group of influential Indian artists, including S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, S.K. Bakre, Akbar Padamsee and Tyeb Mehta, called the Progressive Artists Group to encourage new forms of art.

Souza, who lived most of his life in London and New York and died in 2002, is the only Indian artist to have a room dedicated to his works at Tate Britain.

While Christie's auction of the works of 50 of South Asia's leading modern and contemporary artists on June 11 fetched over £5.4 million, it was not surprising that Souza's work led the charge, said Indian art critic Madhu Jain.

"He was controversial and ahead of his times. He is one of the most significant Indian artists," she said.

According to Ganieve Grewal, representative, Christie's India, the price was not unreasonable as "Souza was known for his portraiture, landscapes and still life, and this painting has all three elements."

Agrees Arun Vadehra of New Delhi's Vadehra Galleries. "Birth is a painting of exceptional quality," Vadehra said. "Souza was a colleague of Francis Bacon, whose work sold last year for $6 million, so why should Souza's work fall behind anyone else's?"

Souza's 8 ft by 4 ft work was a part of a private collection in the US. The winning bid was made by Harmony Art Foundation, founded by Tina Ambani, wife of billionaire Anil Ambani.

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