13th Sep, 2026 14:00

OSTLICHT AUCTION at PARALLEL VIENNA

 
  Lot 48
 

HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON (1908–2004)
Gandhi's wake at Birla House, Delhi, India 1948

Estimate
€2,000 - €2,400
 

Buyer's premium: 20%

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Lot details

Start price: € 1,200

 

Estimate: € 2,000–2,400

English:

Gelatin silver print, printed c. 1960 on single-weight, glossy paper, in very good condition. Photographer's Magnum stamp, typographic caption label and handwritten notes in pencil and red pen on the reverse.

During his travels through India in 1947–48, Henri Cartier-Bresson documented the country at a moment of profound historical transformation. Shortly before Mahatma Gandhi's death on 30 January 1948, Cartier-Bresson photographed him during his final days in Delhi. Following the event, he was granted access to Birla House to document the national mourning and funeral ceremonies. This photograph captures Gandhi's wake, reflecting the profound grief of a nation at a defining moment in its history.

* Fully taxed

subject to resale right

Deutsch:

Silbergelatineabzug, c. 1960 geprintet auf dünnem, glänzendem Papier, in sehr gutem Zustand. Rückseitig Magnum-Fotografenstempel, Label mit typografischer Beschriftung, handschriftliche Bemerkungen mit Bleistift und rotem Stift.

Während seiner Reise durch Indien in den Jahren 1947–48 dokumentierte Henri Cartier-Bresson das Land in einem Moment tiefgreifender historischer Veränderungen. Kurz vor Mahatma Gandhis Tod am 30. Januar 1948 fotografierte Cartier-Bresson ihn während seiner letzten Tage in Delhi. Anschließend erhielt er Zugang zum Birla House, um die nationale Trauer und die Begräbniszeremonien zu dokumentieren. Die vorliegende Aufnahme zeigt Gandhis Totenwache und vermittelt die tiefe Erschütterung einer Nation in einem entscheidenden Moment ihrer Geschichte.

* Vollbesteuert

folgerechtspflichtig

Image size: 17.6 x 25.5 cm

 

Auction: OSTLICHT AUCTION at PARALLEL VIENNA, 13th Sep, 2026

266 works will be part of this edition of OstLicht Photo Auction, ranging from historical classics to contemporary works.

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For some lots, resale rights are charged at a hammer price of EUR 2,500 or above. This is for the benefit of the artist or his heirs. The fee is 4% for hammer prices from 2,500 to 50,000 EUR, 3% from 55,000 EUR. The buyer will be billed for the resale right. 

Relevant lots are marked with ‟Droit de suite may apply to this lot”.