Rare Gandhi portrait sold in auction for over £150,000 at auction house event.
In a historic sale, an oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, painted by British artist Clare Leighton in 1931, was sold at an auction in London for a staggering £152,800. The painting, believed to be the only oil portrait that Gandhi himself posed for, was sold through Bonhams' Travel and Exploration Sale on July 15, 2025.
The portrait, which showed Gandhi "at the height of his power," according to Caspar Leighton, the artist's great-nephew, was estimated to be worth between £50,000 and £70,000. However, the final selling price far surpassed these estimates, reaching over triple the low estimate and more than double the high estimate.
The painting, which has remained in family ownership since Clare Leighton's death, was inherited by the father of Caspar Leighton. It was first exhibited in London in November 1931 and again in 1978 at a retrospective of Leighton's work in Boston.
At the time of the painting, Gandhi was in London to negotiate with the British government about the future of India. His non-violent campaign against British colonial rule resulted in India's independence in 1947, a significant milestone in the country's history.
Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist in 1948 and was cremated shortly after his death. His cremation site is now a pilgrimage destination in India.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, admires Gandhi's strategy of non-violent resistance. Caspar Leighton, before the auction, stated that the painting tells "a much bigger story" than its family history. He suggested that the painting might "return to India," implying it could find a permanent home there.
The auction took place on Tuesday, marking a significant moment in the preservation and celebration of this important piece of history. The sale of this rare portrait serves as a reminder of Gandhi's enduring influence and the power of art to capture and immortalise historical figures.
[1] The Art Newspaper. (2025, July 15). Rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by Clare Leighton sold at London auction. Retrieved from https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/rare-oil-portrait-of-mahatma-gandhi-by-clare-leighton-sold-at-london-auction
[2] Bonhams. (2025, July 15). Travel and Exploration Sale. Retrieved from https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26598/
[3] The Hindu. (2025, July 16). Rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by Clare Leighton fetches £152,800 at London auction. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/rare-oil-portrait-of-mahatma-gandhi-by-clare-leighton-fetches-152800-at-london-auction/article36023624.ece
[4] BBC News. (2025, July 16). Rare portrait of Mahatma Gandhi sells for £152,800 at London auction. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58103719.amp
In light of the historic sale, discussions about the potential for community policy to facilitate the painting's return to India might be considered. The high politics of general-news, as demonstrated by the auction, underlines the employment policy implications for art preservation and cultural exchange.
