Piaus I

Object Details

• Artist

  Atul Bhalla (India, born 1964)

• Printer

  Digital Image Solutions

• Edition/State

  1/5

• Provenance

  2006-?

  Atul Bhalla (b. 1964), New Delhi, India [1]

  ?-2007

  Ownership information unknown

  2007

  Sale, Hong Kong, Christie's, “Asian Contemporary Art,” May 28, 2007, lot 517 [2]

  2007-2019

  Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur, purchased from May 28, 2007, Christie's Sale, Hong Kong [3]

  From 2019

  National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See the “Photographic Information Record” form, dated July 21, 2022, copy in object file. The form indicates that this work by Atul Bhalla is from an edition of 5, it was executed in 2006 and printed in 2006 by Digital Image Solution in New Delhi, India.

  [2] See Christie's, “Asian Contemporary Art” [auction catalogue], (Hong Kong: Christie’s, May 28, 2007), lot 517 (illustrated with one incorrect image in the lower right). Object is described as, “Piaos [sic, Piaus] [/] signed and dated in Hindi (lower right) [/] digital print on archival paper [/] 35 x 40.7 cm. (12 x 16 in.) x 20 pieces [/] edition of 3 [/] Executed in 2007 [sic, 2006].”

  [3] See the object list, undated (ca. January 28, 2019), copy in object file. The object list indicates that Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur acquired this work from Christie's in Hong Kong on May 28, 2007. The object list incorrectly identifies this work as edition “1/3.”

  See also “Temporary Custody Receipt,” number RLS2019.2, undated, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for acquisition consideration on March 14, 2019.

  [4] See Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on May 14, 2019, copy in object file. See also the signed “Deed of Gift,” copy in object file. From 2019-2023 this work was part of the National Museum of Asian Art’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection and on March 21, 2023, the work was internally transferred to the National Museum of Asian Art Collection.

  Research updated August 6, 2024

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Unstill Waters (December 10, 2022 to June 11, 2023)

  Looking In, Looking Out: Contemporary Indian Photography from the Gaur Collection (February 13, 2016 to May 6, 2017)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Atul Bhalla (India, born 1964)

  Umesh Gaur

  Sunanda Gaur

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Gift of Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur

• Type

  Photograph

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  2000s

• Name

  Gaur, Sunanda, Gaur, Umesh, Bhalla, Atul

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Contemporary Art, Art

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Photographs