The Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF) is a private, not-for-profit organization located in Mumbai, India, with its core interest in promoting the preservation, exhibition, education, and research of post-colonial Indian modern art. The collection is endowed by the personal collection of the late Jehangir Nicholson, comprising over 800 pieces of art across mediums from artists including

M. F. Husain Maqbool Fida Husain (17 September 1915 – 9 June 2011) was an Indian painter and film director who painted Narrative painting, narrative paintings in a modified Cubism, Cubist style. He was one of the founding members of Bombay Progressiv ...

Vasudeo S. Gaitonde Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924 – 10 August 2001), also known as V. S. Gaitonde, was an Indian painter. He was regarded as one of India's foremost abstract painters. Gaitonde received the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1971. Early life ...

, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara. The foundation is currently housed in the

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) formerly named the 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 Bri ...

(CSMVS), and functions as the

modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

and

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

wing of the museum.

History

Jehangir Nicholson (1915 ― 2001) was a chartered accountant and the last heir of a cotton gin and press, Breul and Co. (est.1863). Nicholson's introduction to the art world was in December 1968 when he purchased a landscape by Sharad Waykool, who was exhibiting in the Taj Art Gallery. This led Nicholson to become an active patron for two of the major galleries in Mumbai, Chemould and Pundole. Not only did he build a sizeable and museum-quality personal collection, but he also formed friendships with a number of artists, especially members from the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group. Jehangir Nicholson

As Nicholson's collection grew throughout the 1960s, he maintained the vision of sharing his pieces with the public by building a museum dedicated to contemporary art. In 1976, he loaned part of his collection to the

National Centre for the Performing Arts National Centre for the Performing Arts may refer to * National Centre for the Performing Arts (China) The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera ...

(NCPA) in order to establish the Jehangir Nicholson Museum of Modern Art, with the help of

V. K. Narayana Menon V. K. Narayana Menon (Thrissur Vadakke Kurupath Narayana Menon) (1911–1997) was a scholar of classical Indian dance and Indian classical music. He was one of the prominent art critics of India and a Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship. Educati ...

, the chairman of NCPA,

J. R. D. Tata Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (29 July 1904 – 29 November 1993) was a French born Indian industrialist, philanthropist, aviator and former chairman of Tata Group. Born into the Tata family of India, he was the son of noted businessman Rat ...

, and Bal Chhabda. This venture was one of the first public-facing museums of post-colonial art in Mumbai. Additionally, Nicholson organized two public exhibitions at the

National Gallery of Modern Art The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The main museum at Jaipur House in New Delhi was established on 29 March 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent b ...

(NGMA), in Mumbai, 1998 and in Delhi, 1999, where he displayed more than 250 works from his private collection. With the sheer number of works he collected, the space at the NGMA was simply not enough. Therefore, Nicholson furthered his quest to build a museum of contemporary art that could accommodate his growing collection by actively negotiating with the government for land to establish a free-standing museum - an effort he continued until his death in 2001 and included in his will. The Jehangir Nicholson Museum at NCPA closed down shortly after in the same year. Nicholson's godson Cyrus Guzder and lawyer Kaiwan Kalyaniwalla established the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation based on his will, aiming to preserve, document, and update one of the richest private collections that reflects the complexities, vitality, and crucial phases of development in modern Indian art history. In 2008, the foundation entered a partnership with the CSMVS to set up the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery (opened in 2011) as the modern and contemporary art wing in the East Annexe of the museum. The foundation also houses its office, a library, and a research center, as well as a visible storage archive for the JNAF collection. The Jehangir Nicholson Gallery celebrated its 10th year of opening in 2021.

Collection

The Jehangir Nicholson Collection has great historical interest and importance because it often covers a wide range of works chronologically for each of the artists, adding understanding to the dimension and scope of representations. It comprises over 800 works of modern and contemporary Indian art procured from 1968 to 2001 by Nicholson. The core strength of the collection lies in its comprehensiveness of the works by the Bombay Progressive Artists and their contemporaries, including S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara,

V. S. Gaitonde Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924 – 10 August 2001), also known as V. S. Gaitonde, was an Indian painter. He was regarded as one of India's foremost abstract painters. Gaitonde received the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1971. Early life ...

Tyeb Mehta Tyeb Mehta (26 July 1925 – 2 July 2009) was an Indian painter, sculptor and film maker. He was part of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group and the first post-colonial generation of artists in India, like John Wilkins who also broke fr ...

Akbar Padamsee Akbar Padamsee (12 April 1928 – 6 January 2020) was an Indian artist and painter, considered one of the pioneers in modern Indian painting along with S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza and M.F. Husain. Over the years he also worked with various mediums ...

Ram Kumar Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to: * A male sheep * Random-access memory, computer memory * Ram Trucks, US, since 2009 ** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans ** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...

Krishen Khanna Krishen Khanna (born 5 July 1925) is an Indian painter known for his abstracted figurative artworks depicting street scenes of the country. He is a self-taught artist whose paintings showcase Indian idioms and human values. Notable works by Khan ...

, F. N. Souza, and Laxman Shreshtha. The collection also includes a vast number of works from artists that are often associated with the Baroda Group, including

K. G. Subramanyan Kalpathi Ganpathi "K.G." Subramanyan (5 February 1924 29 June 2016) was an Indian artist. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2012. Life Subramanyan was born in Tamil Brahmin family on 5th February, 1924 in Kuthuparamba in Kerala, India ...

, N. S. Bendre,

Bhupen Khakhar Bhupen Khakhar (also spelled Bhupen Khakkar, 10 March 1934 – 8 August 2003) was an Indian artist. He was a member of the Baroda Group and gained international recognition for his work as "India's first 'Pop' artist." Works Khakhar was a sel ...

Jayant Parikh Jayant Parikh (born 2 April 1940) is an Indian modern contemporary artist, printmaker, and muralist. He is a student of N. S. Bendre, K. G. Subramanyan and Sankho Chaudhuri. He lives and works in Vadodara, India. Biography Jayant Parik ...

Gulam Mohammed Sheikh Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh (born 16 February 1937) is a painter, poet and art critic from Gujarat, India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1983 and Padmabhushan in 2014 for his contribution in field of art. Early life Sheikh was born on 16 Februa ...

, Rekha Rodwittiya,

Vivan Sundaram Vivan Sundaram (28 May 1943 – 29 March 2023) was an Indian contemporary artist. He worked in many different media, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation, and video art, and his work was politically conscious an ...

, and

Nilima Sheikh Nilima Sheikh (born 18 November 1945) is a visual artist based in Baroda, India. Since the mid-80s, Sheikh has done extensive research about traditional art forms in India, advocated for the sustainability of the practice of traditional painte ...

. Other artists that are represented include Homi Patel, Ganesh Haloi, Prabhakar Kolte, Prabhakar Barwe,

Jogen Chowdhury Jogen Chowdhury (born 19 February 1939) is an eminent Indian painter and considered an important painter of 21st century India. He lives and works in Santiniketan. He graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata and subsequentl ...

Bikash Bhattacharjee Bikash Bhattacharjee (21 June 1940 – 18 December 2006) was an Indian painter from Kolkata in West Bengal. Through his paintings, he depicted the life of the average middle-class Bengali – their aspirations, superstitions, hypocrisy and co ...

, C. Douglas,

Surendran Nair Surendran Nair (born 1956) is an Indian artist who works with watercolour, printmaking and oils and his works are inspired from surrealism and symbolism.Amrita Jhaveri, ''A Guide to 101 Modern and Contemporary Indian Artists'', India Book House ...

Nalini Malani Nalini Malani (born 19 February 1946) is an Indian artist, among the country's first generation of video artists. She works with several mediums which include theater, videos, installations along with mixed media paintings and drawings. The su ...

, and

Arpana Caur Arpana Caur is an Indian contemporary painter and graphic artist. Caur exhibits dynamism and deep insight in her depictions of women's conditions in modern India. A self-taught artist, Caur's portrayals of women in urban environments reflect h ...

. Aside from two-dimensional pieces, the collection also contains works from sculptors such as

Pilloo Pochkhanawala Pilloo Pochkhanawala (1 April 1923 – 7 June 1986) was among the first few women sculptors in India. Initially, she worked in advertising before going on to become a sculptor. Through her dynamic works, Pochkhanawala established herself as a p ...

, Adi Davierwala,

Sankho Chaudhuri Sankho Chaudhuri (25 February 1916 – 28 August 2006) was an Indian sculptor artist, and a noted figure in the art scene of India. (Although named Naranarain in due family tradition, he was more widely known by his pet name Sankho). Ram Kinker ...

, Ramesh Pateria, Nagji Patel, and B. Vithal.

Exhibitions

: The Fragility of Time (12 Aug 2024 ― 5 Nov 202

* A Forest in the City: Living within Sanjay Gandhi National Park / Aarey Colony in Mumbai (In collaboration with KRVIA, Mumbai, and Pani Haq Samiti) (26 Apr 2024 ― 24 Jul 202

* A Cinematic Imagination

Josef Wirsching Josef Wirsching (22 March 1903 – 11 June 1967) sometimes credited as Joseph Wirsching, was a German cinematographer, who became a pioneer in cinematography in India and who contributed to the heritage of Cinema of India and still photography i ...

and the

Bombay Talkies Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay. The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. Afte ...

(1 Mar 2024 ― 17 Apr 202

* Out of Place: Journeys through Indian Art (18 Oct 2023 ― 19 Feb 202

* Mycelial Legacies II: Exhibition of women artists from the University of Baroda Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Vadodara (9 Jun 2023 ― 24 Sep 202

* Nasreen Mohamedi: The Vastness, Again & Again (31 Jan 2023 ― 28 May 202

* Re-citing land , Ganesh Haloi: six decades of painting (In collaboration with The CSMVS and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi) (11 Nov 2022 ― 11 Jan 202

* Woman Is As Woman Does (Exhibited at the JNAF Gallery and the Premchand Roychand Gallery) (13 Aug 2022 ― 16 Oct 202

* S.H. Raza , Zamin: Homelands (In collaboration with the CSMVS, Art Musings and The Raza Foundation) (2 Jun 2022 ― 31 Jul 202

* Ancestors , Sahej Rahal (Supported by the Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts Foundation) (19 Feb 2022 ― 11 May 202

* F.N. Souza: The Power and the Glory (30 Oct 2021 ― 11 Jan 202

*

: A Tribute , Works from the Jehangir Nicholson Collection (9 Jan 2020 ― 9 Apr 202

*

: The Silent Observer (3 Aug 2019 ― 3 Nov 2019

* Foy Nissen's Bombay: Photographs from the archive of Foy Nissen (15 Mar 2019 ― 14 Jul 201

* Still/Life: Dutch Contemporary Photography (In collaboration with Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam) (30 Nov 2018 ― 10 Feb 201

*

Jayashree Chakravarty Jayashree Chakravarty is a Kolkata based Indian visual artist, working with painted canvases, and large-scale installations of paper with mixed media. Early life and education Jayashree Chakravarty was born in Khoai, Tripura and spent her child ...

, Earth as Haven: under the canopy of love (11 Sep 2018 ― Nov 201

* Songs from the Blood of the Weary (Dialogues of Peace): Rekha Rodwittiya (19 Apr 2018 ― 19 Aug 201

* India & The World: A History in Nine Stories (In collaboration with CSMVS, the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

, London and the

National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...

, New Delhi; Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the

Tata Trusts Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) was founded in 1919 with a sum of Indian currency 8 million. It was under the Ownership of Ratan Tata until his death. Noel Tata was appointed as the Chairman of the Tata Trusts on 11 October 2024, post the demise o ...

, the

Getty Foundation The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California, at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...

and the Newton Bhabha Fund) (11 Nov 2017 ― 18 Feb 201

* William Gedney, Gedney in India (In collaboration with

Duke University Libraries Duke University Libraries is the library system of Duke University, serving the university's students and faculty. The Libraries collectively hold some 6 million volumes. The collection contains 17.7 million manuscripts, 1.2 million public docum ...

) (9 Mar 2017 ― 30 Jun 2017)
* Kanu Gandhi, Kanu's Gandhi (In collaboration with Nazar Foundation) (12 Jan 2017 ― 26 Feb 201

* Laxman Shreshtha: The Infinite Project (18 Aug ― 31 Dec 201

* The Journey is the Destination: The Artist's Journey between Then and Now (15 Mar 2016 ― 31 Jul 201

*

Jitish Kallat Jitish Kallat (born 1974, Mumbai) is an Indian contemporary artist. He lives and works in Mumbai, India.
Th ...

: Covering Letter (15 Feb 2016 ― 28 Feb 201

* Unpacking the Studio: Celebrating the

Jehangir Sabavala Jehangir Sabavala (23 August 1922 – 2 September 2011) was an Indian painter. Early life and education Jehangir Ardeshir Sabavala was born to an affluent Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. His mother belonged to the aristocratic ...

Bequest (In collaboration with the CSMVS) (15 Sep 2015 ― 31 Dec 201

*

: Works in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection (25 Apr 2015 ― 25 Aug 201

* Portraits of a Collector: Photographs by Jehangir Nicholson (In collaboration with the FOCUS Photography Festival) (12 Mar 2015 ― 26 Mar 201

*

Howard Hodgkin Sir Gordon Howard Eliot Hodgkin (6 August 1932 – 9 March 2017) was a British painter and printmaker. His work is most often associated with abstraction. Early life Gordon Howard Eliot Hodgkin was born on 6 August 1932 in Hammersmith, Londo ...

: Paintings 1984-2015, A Tribute (In collaboration with the CSMVS and

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

; Supported by

Gagosian Gallery The Gagosian Gallery is a modern and contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. The gallery exhibits some of the most well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. As of 2024, Gagosian employs 300 people at 19 exhibiti ...

, British Council India, Pheroza and

Jamshyd Godrej Jamshyd Naoroji Godrej is an Indian industrialist and member of the Godrej family, currently serving as managing director and chairman of Godrej & Boyce, the holding company of the Godrej group. Godrej & Boyce is a diversified business with a ...

and other donors) (20 Feb 2015 ― 15 Apr 201

* Kekoo Gandhy, Kekoo, Kali & Jehangir: Framing A Collection (19 Sep 2014 ― 31 Jan 201

* Taking The Line For A Walk (1 Mar 2014 ― 30 Aug 201

*

Mohan Samant Mohan Samant (1924 – 2004) was an early Indian modernist painter and member of the Progressive Artists Group. He was also a lifelong player of the sarangi, an Indian bowed string instrument. Early years Samant was born Manmohan Balkrish ...

: Paintings (In collaboration with the Estate of Mohan Samant) (11 Oct 2013 ― 10 Feb 201

* Nothing is Absolute: A Journey Through Abstraction (In collaboration with the CSMVS) (26 Feb 2013 ― 30 Sep 201

* Voicing a Presence: Women artists from the Jehangir Nicholson Collection (27 Apr 2012 ― 14 Feb 201

* Six Decades: Celebrating the Bombay Artists from the Jehangir Nicholson Collection (11 Apr 2011 ― 15 Apr 201

Publications

* ''A Forest in the City: Living within Sanjay Gandhi National Park / Aarey Colony in Mumbai'', JNAF, 2024, * ''Re-citing land: Ganesh Haloi'', JNAF, 2023, * ''Nasreen Mohamedi: The Vastness, Again & Again'', JNAF, 2023, * ''Mycelial Legacies II: Exhibition of women artists from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Vadodara'', JNAF, 2023, * ''Ancestors , Sahel Rahaj'', JNAF, 2022, * ''Akbar Padamsee: A Tribute , Works in the JNAF Collection'', JNAF, 2020, * ''S.H. Raza , Zamin: Homelands'', JNAF, 2019, * ''Foy Nissen’s Bombay: Photographs from the Archive of Foy Nissen'', JNAF, 2019, * ''V.S. Gaitonde: The Silent Observer'', JNAF, 2019, * ''Songs from the Blood of the Weary (Dialogues of Peace): Rekha Rodwittiya'', JNAF, 2018, * ''Laxman Shreshtha: The Infinite Project'', JNAF, 2016, * ''The Journey is the Destination: The Artist’s Journey Between Then and Now'', JNAF, 2016, * ''Ram Kumar: Works in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection'', JNAF, 2015, * ''Kekoo, Kali & Jehangir: Framing a Collection'', JNAF, 2014, * ''Voicing a Presence: Women Artists in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection'', JNAF, 2013 * ''Nothing is Absolute: A journey through Abstraction'', JNAF, 2013 * ''Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter'', JNAF, 2016

References

{{reflist

External links

JNAF Website
Culture of Mumbai Arts organisations based in India Art museums and galleries in India Art museums and galleries in Mumbai Contemporary art galleries in India