Important Notice

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF URMILA AND THE LATE GUNVANT MANGALDAS

Gunvant Mangaldas was one of the earliest collectors of modern Indian art. The Ahmedabad-based businessman and his wife, Urmila, were patrons to important Modernists, particularly those from the Progressive Artists' Group and their associates, and formed enduring friendships with many of them.

After studying Chemical Engineering at the University... PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF URMILA AND THE LATE GUNVANT MANGALDAS

Gunvant Mangaldas was one of the earliest collectors of modern Indian art. The Ahmedabad-based businessman and his wife, Urmila, were patrons to important Modernists, particularly those from the Progressive Artists' Group and their associates, and formed enduring friendships with many of them.

After studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he first developed an interest in art, Gunvant Mangaldas returned to Ahmedabad and began actively pursuing this passion. This was during the early 1950s, when the PAG artists and their contemporaries were in the early stages of establishing their presence as formidable artists in post-Independent India, while discovering a unique modern identity in Indian art. One of the key figures in this movement was Bal Chhabda, a strong supporter of the arts and owner of the erstwhile Gallery 59, where he often showcased works by these promising artists. A school friend of Gunvant Mangaldas, Chhabda introduced the couple to this world and thus began their life-long journey of collecting art. It was through Chhabda (and his wife, Jeet), whom they were visiting in Kashmir in 1965, that the Mangaldases met Ram Kumar for the first time. It was around the same year when lot 48 was painted. Their friendship continued, and on his rare visits to Ahmedabad, he often spent time with them.

Likewise, the Mangaldases were also involved in a similar art movement that had emerged in Ahmedabad aroundthis time, formed by artists Bhanwar Singh Panwar, Maansingh Chaara, Piraji Sagara, and others. Calling themselves the 'Progressive Painters of Ahmedabad', they sought to establish an art presence in their city. Gunvant Mangaldas was one of their earliest supporters, and generously opened his home to them to hold their first few meetings.

In many respects, the Mangaldases home, Vihan - designed by various architects, including the eminent B V Doshi, one of India's foremost architects and recent winner of the 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize - was a welcome haven for many artists and luminaries during their travels to Ahmedabad. Some of their first guests during its housewarming included Chhabda, artists V S Gaitonde and Tyeb Mehta who came from Bombay, and Ram Kumar and Krishen Khanna from Delhi. Similarly, S H Raza and his wife Janine Mongillat, as well as Natvar Bhavsar and his wife Janet Brosious, often stayed with them when visiting the city.

In 1974, the Mangaldases hosted an evening soiree that was attended by internationally renowned American architect Louis Kahn, who was in town to oversee further work on his project designs for the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - for which Doshi was an associate architect. Urmila Mangaldas remembers: "A relaxed Kahn sat on the marble projection in the veranda, conversing with a group of young architects. He also looked around later, professionally, appreciatively, and critically, at the building. For me, to have this pleasant, unassuming and learned man as our guest was no ordinary event." The charming memory of this meeting inevitably turned to one of sorrow by the tragic circumstances of Kahn's death, who unexpectedly passed away on his journey back to the US.

It was at the Mangaldases house that M F Husain met B V Doshi, and they began planning the design for Husain's dream project of an underground art museum in Ahmedabad - initially known as the Husain-Doshi Gufa, and later changed to Amdavad ni Gufa as a tribute to the city. Upon completion, Mangaldas-who had worked closely on this project during its construction to ensure that it ran smoothly-also served as the museum gallery's founder-chairman for several years, until he had to step down for health reasons. During his tenure, he convinced Ram Kumar to hold an exhibition of his works there. The show attracted a lot of attention and was almost sold out. According to Urmila Mangaldas, however, Kumar appeared to be unhappy every time a new sale was made: "He explained to me: he took long to finish a work. Usually, someone commissions a work so he seldom has a surplus."

In many ways, the Mangaldases - and their home - inhabit an important corner in modern Indian art history. Lots 48 and 50, once part of the Mangaldases carefully curated and preserved collection, are a testament to their discerning tastes, unwavering support of these artists, and long-standing commitment to Indian art.

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