A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by Clare Leighton, widely believed to be the only oil portrait he personally sat for, has sold for £152,800 at a Bonhams auction, far surpassing its original estimate of £50,000 to £70,000.
The sale took place as part of Bonhams’ Travel and Exploration auction, and marks the first time the portrait has appeared at an auction. Bonhams described the work as a rare and exceptional piece, both for its artistic merit and its direct connection to Gandhi himself.
Leighton, better known for her intricate wood engravings, painted Gandhi in 1931 during his visit to London for the Second Round Table Conference, a gathering aimed at discussing India’s future under British rule.
Her connection to Gandhi was facilitated by her partner at the time, Henry Noel Brailsford, a political journalist and outspoken supporter of Indian independence. Brailsford had met Gandhi at the conference and published Rebel India that year, championing the cause of freedom.
Through Brailsford, Leighton gained rare access to Gandhi’s inner circle and was one of the very few artists permitted to sketch and paint him in person, according to a note on the Bonhams website.
The portrait first made its debut in November 1931 at an exhibition held at the Albany Galleries in Sackville Street, London. The show drew a wide range of attendees, including members of parliament, Indian delegates, journalists, and artists.
Gandhi himself did not attend the opening, but journalist and Leighton’s friend Winifred Holtby wrote vividly about the event in The Schoolmistress, noting the presence of “exquisite Indian women in bright saris” and key Indian dignitaries like independence leader Sarojini Naidu and industrialist Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas.
Holtby described Leighton’s oil portrait as capturing Gandhi “very much as I saw him when he came as a guest to a big luncheon in Westminster at which I was present a little while ago”.
“He was the political leader there, the subtle negotiator, the manipulator of Congress, the brilliant lawyer, the statesman who knows just how to play on the psychology of friends and enemies alike,” she had written.
The following month, Gandhi’s personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, wrote to Leighton, addressing her by her married name, Mrs Brailsford, to express his appreciation.
“It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi’s portrait. I am sorry I didn’t see the final result, but many of my friends who saw it in the Albany Gallery said to me that it was a good likeness. I am quite sure Mr Gandhi has no objection to its being reproduced,” the letter read.
A copy of Desai’s letter remains attached to the back of the painting.
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After 1931, the portrait largely disappeared from public view. It resurfaced in 1978 during a retrospective of Leighton’s work at the Boston Public Library.
According to the artist’s family, it may have also been exhibited briefly in 1974, when it was reportedly attacked by a Hindu nationalist linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing organisation in India promoting Hindu nationalism. The group is controversial partly because Nathuram Godse, Gandhi’s assassin, was a member.
While no official records confirm the incident, the painting shows evidence of knife damage and a label on the back confirms that it was restored that same year by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory.
The portrait remained in Leighton’s personal collection until her death in 1989, after which it passed down through her family.
This sale at Bonhams marks its first appearance at auction, making it a significant moment not only in the art market but also in the broader context of 20th-century political portraiture.
Bonhams’ head of sale, Rhyanon Demery, described the piece as “exceptional,” emphasising both its rarity as a painted work by Leighton and its subject.
Leighton’s great-nephew, Caspar Leighton told the BBC: “This is a painting of unique historic and cultural significance. It would be great if it could be seen and appreciated more widely, whether in India or elsewhere.”
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