Untitled Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by Clare Leighton

In July 2025, the British auction house Bonhams announced the sale of a rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi for £1,52,800 (Rs 1.78 crores). The auctioneers had estimated a price of £50 to £70,000 (around Rs 80 lakhs) for the work but the sale exceeded expectations comfortably. This painting was by the British artist Clare Leighton (1898-1989)—Gandhi sat for it during his 1931 visit to London for the Second Round Table Conference. Following the artist’s death in America in 1989, the work was passed on to her descendants.

In the US, Leighton is considered a pioneer among female artists and illustrators. Her work with woodcuts in particular was well-received, and she went on to write a book on the finer points of wood engraving. A 1929 edition of the famous American novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (by Thornton Wilder) featured 16 woodcut illustrations created by Leighton.

The Gandhi painting shows the artist’s command over light and shadow, and it depicts the Indian leader in a discursive mood. Notably, Leighton draws him with a prominent shikha or tuft of hair on the back of the head, usually seen as a marker of Hindu identity. This was the only painting Gandhi ever agreed to pose for—this historical anomaly more than justifies the hefty price tag.