Aditi Khanna London

A rare oil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, believed to be the only one he sat for the artist to paint, has fetched triple its estimate at £152,800 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 and was the top lot of the Travel and Exploration sale, which concluded on Tuesday.

The portrait artist, Clare Leighton, was introduced to Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference. “Thought to be the only oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi, which he sat for, this was a very special work, which had never before been offered at auction,” said Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams Head of Sale. “Completed in London by the artist Clare Leighton, mainly known for her wood engravings, this work was a testament to Gandhi’s power to connect with people far and wide, and presented a lasting document of an important moment in history,” she said.