Rare 1931 Mahatma Gandhi Portrait set for London Auction

A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, painted during his 1931 visit to the UK, is set to be auctioned in London in July 2025.

The artwork, created by British artist Clare Leighton, is believed to be the only oil portrait Gandhi ever sat for, offering a unique glimpse into a pivotal moment in history.

The painting was completed while Gandhi was in the UK for the second Round Table Conference, held to discuss India’s push for self-governance.

According to auction house Bonhams, Clare Leighton “was one of the very few artists admitted to his office and was given the opportunity to sit with on multiple occasions to sketch and paint his likeness”.

The oil portrait remained with the artist until her death in 1989 in the United States.

Leighton, who became involved in India’s independence movement through her partner, journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, first met Gandhi through his political connections.

In November 1931, she held an exhibition at Albany Galleries in London featuring several portraits of Gandhi, including the oil painting and a charcoal sketch of him sleeping in his office.

Although Gandhi did not attend the exhibition’s opening, members of the Indian delegation were present, including Sarojini Naidu, a leading figure in the independence struggle and one of Gandhi’s closest advisors during the conference.

The portrait drew attention even then.

British journalist Winifred Holtby described it vividly: “The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised, as it often is to emphasise a point, his mouth parted for a word that is almost a smile.”

Gandhi’s secretary, Mahadev Desai, later wrote to Leighton, remarking on how well the portrait captured its subject:

“Many of my friends who saw it [the oil portrait] in the Albany Gallery said to me that it was a good likeness.”

Despite its significance, there is no confirmed record of the painting being exhibited publicly until 1978, when it appeared in a show at the Boston Public Library.

However, the family believes it was on display in the United States in the 1970s, where it was allegedly attacked with a knife.

The back of the painting includes a label noting it was restored by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory in Connecticut in 1974.

Bonhams says the damage was believed to have been caused by a right-wing Hindu activist, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

It had never been offered for public sale and will now be auctioned in the second week of July.

Clare Leighton’s great-nephew, Caspar Leighton, said:

“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.”

Gandhi led a non-violent resistance movement against British rule in India and his teachings have inspired millions. Most Indians revere him as the “father of the nation”.

Over the years, several paintings, drawings and sketches of him have circulated around the world. But the oil portrait holds a special place in history.