Jehangir Art Gallery is an art gallery in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
(
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
). It was founded by Sir
Cowasji Jehangir
Sir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet, (16 February 1879 – 17 October 1962) was a prominent member of the Bombay Parsi community. He was the son of Sir Jehangir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, 1st Bt. (1853–1934) and grand-nephew of Sir Cowasji ...
at the urging of
K. K. Hebbar and
Homi Bhabha. It was built in 1952. Managed by the Committee of Management, the entire cost of this mansion was donated by Cowasji Jehangir. This gallery is situated at
Kala Ghoda
Kala Ghoda (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA:Kāḷā Ghōḍā,(काला घोडा)') is a crescent-shaped art district in Mumbai, India. It hosts several of the city's heritage buildings including museums, art galleries and educ ...
, behind the
Prince of Wales Museum
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) originally named Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is a museum in Mumbai (Bombay) which documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times.
It was founded during Briti ...
, in
South Mumbai
South Mumbai, colloquially SoBo from South Bombay in Anglo-Indian English, administratively the Mumbai City District, is the city centre and the southernmost precinct of Greater Bombay. It extends from Colaba to Mahim and Sion neighbour ...
near the
Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early 20th century in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of King-Emperor George V, the first British monarch to visit India, in December 1911 at ...
, and has four exhibition halls. The gallery was designed by G.M.Bhuta for G.M. Bhuta & Associates.. The gallery closed for 11 months as a part of the
COVID-19 lockdown in India and was partially re-opened on 16 February 2021.
History
The gallery was inaugurated on 21 January 1952, by then Chief Minister of
Bombay State
Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding Sou ...
,
B. G. Kher
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher (24 August 1888 – 8 March 1957) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of Bombay (1937 - 1939, 1946 - 1947) and the first chief minister (then called Premier) of Bombay State (1947 - 1952). He was a ...
and dedicated it to the memory of Sir Cowasji's late son, Jehangir.
About us
Jehangir Art Gallery. A mammoth institution in itself, its history is linked with the renaissance of Indian art. The complex also has the popular cafe of Samovar, which is reminiscent of the 1970s socialist culture. It also houses Natesans, the country's oldest licensed antique dealer
An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
s. Entry is free of charge.
Architecture
The building has been designed by Durga Bajpai and is one of the early concrete structures in the city. The gallery has been turned inwards due to a combined function of an auditorium and an art gallery. Although the concept of an introvert art gallery could be questioned today, the Jehangir is an example of an early modernist notion of the inward looking art galleries in the city. Moreover, the function of the auditorium left no scope for the gallery to be open to the street.
The play with concrete can be easily seen with a large wavy cantilevered entrance which embraces the street. The otherwise bland facade is articulated with relief stone cladding.
In popular culture
The art gallery and the Samovar restaurant were featured in the 1975 Bollywood film ''Chhoti Si Baat
''Chhoti Si Baat'' () is a 1976 Hindi-language romantic comedy coming of age film directed by Basu Chatterjee. Considered one of the best Hindi comedy films of the 1970s, it is a nostalgic favourite for its quirky take on pre-hypercongestion ...
''.
The art gallery is visible in the 1987 Tamil film ''Nayakan
''Nayakan'' (; ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language gangster film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan, Saranya (in her feature debut) and Karthika, with Janagaraj, Vijayan, M. V. Vasu ...
''
References
External links
Official Website
Maharashtra Tourism
Facebook Page
Twitter page
Art museums and galleries in Mumbai
Event venues established in 1952
Art galleries established in 1952
1952 establishments in Bombay State
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