Rare Gandhi portrait sells for £152,800 at Bonhams

A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, believed to be the only one for which he sat during his lifetime, sold for £152,800 ($204,625) at Bonhams on Tuesday. The painting, by British artist Clare Leighton, topped the auction house’s Travel and Exploration sale, far exceeding its estimate of £50,000–£70,000.

The portrait was painted in 1931 during Gandhi’s visit to London for the Second Round Table Conference. Clare Leighton, better known for her wood engravings, was granted rare access to Gandhi and was allowed to sketch and paint him over multiple sittings. The finished portrait captures Gandhi seated cross-legged in a blanket, one finger raised mid-speech — a detail that contemporary journalist Winifred Holtby described as “almost a smile.”

“This was a very special work, which had never before been offered at auction,” said Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams Head of Sale. “Completed in London, the painting is a testament to Gandhi’s power to connect with people far and wide and presents a lasting document of an important moment in history.”

Leighton’s introduction to Gandhi came through her partner at the time, political journalist and Indian independence supporter H.N. Brailsford. A passionate ally of India’s freedom movement, Brailsford had met Gandhi in 1930 and introduced Leighton to him the following year. She was one of the few artists permitted into Gandhi’s workspace and used the opportunity to develop a striking and personal portrayal.

The portrait was exhibited in November 1931 at the Albany Galleries in London. Holtby, writing in The Schoolmistress, described the diverse crowd at the opening — a gathering of parliamentarians, journalists, artists, and members of the Indian delegation, including Sarojini Naidu and Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas. Gandhi did not attend the exhibition, but his presence was strongly felt in Leighton’s work, according to Holtby.

Following the exhibition, Gandhi’s personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, wrote to Leighton: “It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi’s portrait... 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.”

After its initial exhibition, the portrait largely disappeared from public view. It remained in the artist’s collection until her death in 1989 and was passed down through her family. According to family accounts, the painting may have been attacked with a knife during a public display in 1974. A label on the back confirms it was restored that same year by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory.

The painting resurfaced publicly only twice — at a 1978 exhibition of Leighton’s work at the Boston Public Library, and now at this Bonhams sale. Its appearance and success at auction have renewed interest in Leighton’s artistic legacy and her extraordinary encounter with one of the 20th century’s most influential figures.

Clare Leighton was a pioneering wood engraver and illustrator who carved out her own artistic path amid personal and political turbulence. Encouraged by her uncle Jack Leighton, she studied at the Brighton College of Art, the Slade School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where she studied under engraving master Noel Rooke.

Her work often celebrated rural life and the dignity of manual labour.