Rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi to be auctioned in London

A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi will be auctioned in London next month. The painting was created in 1931 in the UK. Gandhi led a non-violent movement against British rule in India. Many Indians regard him as the "father of the nation." His teachings have inspired millions around the world.

The auction house Bonhams states that this painting is unique. It was made by British artist Clare Leighton, who painted Gandhi while he sat for her. This portrait was created during Gandhi's visit to London for the second Round Table conference. The conference aimed to discuss constitutional reforms and self-governance for India.

The auction will take place in the second week of July at Bonhams. Caspar Leighton, a great-nephew of the artist, spoke about its significance. He hopes it can be appreciated more widely, both in India and beyond.

Clare Leighton was one of few artists allowed to meet Gandhi. She had multiple opportunities to sketch and paint him. After her death in 1989, the works remained with her family.

Leighton met Gandhi through her partner, Henry Noel Brailsford, a journalist supporting India's independence movement. In November 1931, she exhibited her portraits of Gandhi at Albany Galleries in London. Although Gandhi did not attend, many representatives from the Indian delegation were present.

Among them was Sarojini Naidu, an important leader and advisor to Gandhi. The exhibition featured a charcoal sketch of Gandhi asleep and the oil portrait now up for auction.

British journalist Winifred Holtby described the painting vividly: "The little man squats bare-headed...his mouth parted for a word that is almost a smile." In December 1931, Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's personal secretary, praised the portrait's likeness after seeing it at Albany Gallery.

There are no public records showing where this oil portrait was displayed until 1978. That year, Boston Public Library held an exhibition of Leighton's works. However, family members believe it may have been displayed in the US during the 1970s.

Reports suggest it suffered damage during a knife attack by a right-wing Hindu activist. A label on its backing indicates restoration by Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory in Connecticut in 1974.

Details about this alleged attack remain unclear. Some Hindu hardliners accuse Gandhi of betraying Hindus by being too pro-Muslim. They blame him for India's division and subsequent bloodshed during Partition after independence in 1947.

Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse at a prayer meeting. Godse was associated with nationalist right-wing groups.