Important Notice

S L Haldankar was born in 1882 in the princely state of Sawantwadi, now in present-day Maharashtra. His talent for the arts was recognised early on and he received a scholarship to the J J School of Art in Bombay where he graduated with a diploma in painting in 1908 under the tutelage of notable artists such as Cecil Leonard Burns and pioneering Indian academic realist M V Dhurandhar. After graduating, he became an active member of Bombay’s art... S L Haldankar was born in 1882 in the princely state of Sawantwadi, now in present-day Maharashtra. His talent for the arts was recognised early on and he received a scholarship to the J J School of Art in Bombay where he graduated with a diploma in painting in 1908 under the tutelage of notable artists such as Cecil Leonard Burns and pioneering Indian academic realist M V Dhurandhar. After graduating, he became an active member of Bombay’s art circles and co?founded the Art Society of India in 1918.

During his artistic career, Haldankar mastered various materials and mediums, and became especially proficient in watercolour and oil painting. While he received special recognition for his delicate handling of watercolour landscapes, the artist showcased equal mastery of portrait painting and was commissioned to paint portraits of several eminent personalities of the time, including Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and educationalist and philanthropist Jagannath Sunkersett. The present lot, a watercolour portrait of Mahatma Gandhi painted in 1951, demonstrates the artist’s astute yet subtle use of light, shadow, tone, and texture to bring his subject to life. Details such as the drape of Gandhi’s khadi clothing and his glinting spectacles reveal his meticulous observational skills.

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site