March 5th, 2008 
krishna In an art scenario where well- known painters have gone well beyond the reach of many art buffs and collectors, small-format paintings, drawings, studies and sculptures are becoming very popular with art buyers. These pieces are sometimes available at competitive prices compared to the larger or major creations by these artists.
“Going for small-format works by reputed artists is an alternative when their large-sized creations have turned too pricey. In fact, art buyers are occasionally looking at this genre of works and picking them up at price tags which are quite a bit lower than prices of large sized works. This is naturally a bargain when prices generally have shot up over the past two to three years. Small paintings also appreciate in value with the general price growth, thus offering growth to the collector, “an art market source told. Renowned painters known also for their small paintings are S H Raza, F N Souza, M F Husain, Ganesh Pyne and Jogen Chowdhury.
Together with paintings, studies by artists are acquired with good deal of interest especially by seasoned collectors. Sometimes, the new breed of buyers could also go for these works depending on the eye they have developed for art. Frontline artists have often done studies for their major works. These studies stand out as works of art on their own and command a price. The studies could also be encased in an artist’s diary and can be bought as a set. In the West, this brand of works is much sought after and numerous books have been published dwelling on studies by famed artists. Such publications have also added to the price point of the works.
“As drawings and studies quite often reflect the inner workings of an artist’s mind and are very personalized in nature, they are intrinsically collectors’ pieces and enjoy value,” the source said. The other kinds of creations which have gained market popularity are ‘studio works’. These are pieces which are churned out by the artists with the aid of their understudy or helpers. And, this practice is perfectly accepted and official in the art world. In the last phase of his life, the renowned painter Jamini Roy was famous for having fallen back on his son who helped him out with a spread of his paintings.
Some of the other painters known to have produced ‘studio works’ are Hemen Mazumdar and Prakash Karmakar. In step, small-sized sculptures are also being turned out by even some of the leading sculptors.
Thus, this range of artworks, covering small format paintings and sculptures, studies and studio works can easily go into a collector’s repertoire of artworks. Against this backdrop, quite a few of the modern artists and some major galleries are staging exhibitions revolving around this artistic output.
Posted in 
