The Gentleman as a Painter

Painter Jehangir Sabavala,stopped warring with cancer yesterday and breathed his last in Mumbai. He was most known as a gentleman who opened doors for the ladies and spoke in an accent reminiscent of the Raj. Sabavala was every bit the aristocrat who belonged to the Cowasji Jehangir family. Characterised by a Dali-esque handlebar moustache,neatly turned out in a cravat,waistcoat and perfectly cut trousers,the late painter,wore his high-brow upbringing with pride. Some may argue that it was both his blessing and nemesis and that it gave him a world-view slightly different from his contemporaries. It marked the absence of angst and financial struggle evident among his contemporaries,making Sabavala’s position unconventional among others from the Progressives Artist Group (PAG). M F Husain was from a working-class family,F N Souza,a rebel against the Church and art school,K H Ara was a Dalit painter but Sabavala belonged to one of the most eminent art families in Mumbai. Ironically,it was Husain who helped him mount his first exhibition at the Taj Mahal Palace in Apollo Bunder. Sabavala would go on to carve a niche for himself as a cubist; his art was more intellectual and spiritual even if it appealed to a smaller section in society. Here,some unforgettable moments from his life through images.