Soak in the glory and richness of an art treasure of a passionate collector

The late art collector Jehangir Nicholson had always had a desire to share his collection with the common people for them to soak in its glory and richness. The dream has finally been fulfilled.

The renowned art patron’s comprehensive collection of nearly 800 paintings, drawings prints and sculptures, spanning nearly seven decades has recently been thrown open to the public. It comprises several monumental works by over 250 Indian modern and contemporary artists that now have become a prized possession now.

For the humble fellow who spent major part of his life striving to construct a museum of his dream, this is a perfect homage. A gritty man, he had also requested the government of Maharashtra to give him some space in Mumbai for the proposed structure, but to no avail. In his will, the passionate collector had sought the liquidation of his entire assets for supporting a foundation, which would manage his collection.

He had appointed his lawyer Kaiwan Kalyaniwalla and nephew Cyrus Guzder as trustees. With the CSMVS director Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s support, the two convinced the museum board for accommodating Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF) collection at its historic structure. It’s a perfect partnership as a proud legacy finds an apt resting place while the museum can treat as an extension of its own ancient Indian art collection.

Jehangir Nicholson bought his first artwork in 1968, a year after he lost his beloved wife. He bought a Sharad Waykool painting, titled ‘A Scenery’, for Rs 600 from the Taj Art Gallery. After his life partner’s departure, he found succor and solace in his growing attachment with paintings filled a personal vacuum created after his wife’s death. This feeling was quite palpable in the way he chose to address his works, using terms of romanticized love, at times.

The first canvas he acquired cost him Rs. 500. It was ‘A Scenery’ by Sharad Waykool, which he spotted at the Taj Art Gallery. He gradually began visiting the Chemould and Pundole art galleries on a more regular basis, and was introduced to young painter Laxman Shreshtha (just 24 year old then) by the founder of Pundole, Kali Pundole.