Rare Mahatma Gandhi oil painting sold for Rs 1.7 crore in UK

The portrait artist, Clare Leighton, was introduced to Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference

A rare Mahatma Gandhi portrait, believed to be the only one he sat for the artist to paint, has fetched triple its estimate at 152,800 pounds (Rs 1.7 crore) in a Bonhams auction in London.

The painting, which had never before been offered at auction, had been on offer for an online auction with a guide price range between 50,000 and 70,000 pounds (Rs 57 lakh to Rs 80 lakh).

The portrait artist, Clare Leighton, was introduced to Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference.

The painting was the top lot of the Travel and Exploration sale, which concluded on Tuesday.

According to 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", BBC reported.

The work is said to be in the artist's collection until her death in 1989 in the US, after which it was passed down through her family.

It is not known yet who bought the painting and it's not clear whether it will be put on display.

The Times of India reported citing the artist’s family, the portrait was on public display in 1974 when it was allegedly attacked with a knife by a Hindu right-wing activist.

It said that the catalogue entry refers to signs of restoration to tears in several places.

Leighton reportedly met Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference, while he was in a relationship with political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, a passionate supporter of Indian Independence.

Leighton was introduced to Gandhi through this connection and was one of the few artists admitted to his office to sit with him to sketch and paint him.

Leighton showcased her portraits in an exhibition at the Albany Galleries in London, in November 1931.

Journalist Winifred Holtby attended the opening and wrote: “The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised, as it often is to emphasise a point, his lips parted for a word that is almost a smile… the statesman who knows just how to play on the psychology of friends and enemies alike, The Times of India reported.