Latest news with #Leighton
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Portrait believed to be only one Gandhi sat for sells for Rs 1.7 crore at Bonhams
Portrait belived to be only one Gandhi sat for sells for Rs 1.7 crore (Picture credit: Bonhams) LONDON: A rare Gandhi portrait, believed to be the only oil painting Mahatma Gandhi ever sat for, sold in an online auction at Bonhams on Tuesday for £152,800 (Rs 1.7 crore.) 'Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi' by British artist Clare Leighton sold for triple its estimate of £50,000-£70,000 (Rs 57 lakh to Rs 80 lakh). It was the top lot in the Travel and Exploration online sale and the first time this portrait has been sold at auction. According to the artist's family, the portrait was on public display in 1974 when it was allegedly attacked with a knife by a Hindu right-wing activist. The catalogue entry refers to signs of restoration to tears in several places. Leighton met Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference. At the time, Leighton was in a relationship with political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, who was a passionate supporter of Indian Independence. It was through this connection that she was introduced to Gandhi and was one of the few artists admitted to Gandhi's office to sit with him to sketch and paint him. In November 1931, Leighton showcased her portraits in an exhibition at the Albany Galleries in London. Journalist Winifred Holtby attended the opening and wrote: 'The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised, as it often is to emphasise a point, his lips parted for a word that is almost a smile… the statesman who knows just how to play on the psychology of friends and enemies alike.'
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gandhi portrait sells for £152,800
Believed to be the only oil portrait that Mahatma Gandhi sat for, British-American artist Clare Leighton's 1931 canvas featuring the national leader sold at an online Bonhams auction for £152,800, inclusive of premium. Part of Bonhams 'Travel and Exploration Sale,' the canvas was estimated to fetch £50,000-70,000. Leighton was arguably introduced to Gandhi through political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford in 1931, when he was in London to attend the Second Round Table Conference. A note by Bonhams states, 'She was given the opportunity to sit with him on multiple occasions to sketch and paint his likeness.' In a pre-sale release, Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams' Head of Sale, stated: 'Not only is this a rare work by Clare Leighton, who is mainly known for her wood engravings, it is also thought to be the only oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi which he sat for.' In the collection of the artist until her demise in 1989, the oil painting was later passed down through her family. The details note that the canvas was exhibited in November 1931 at the Albany Galleries in Sackville Street, London. Journalist Winifred Holtby, who attended the opening, wrote about the event in the trade union magazine The Schoolmistress. Though Gandhi reportedly did not attend the party, Holtby described Leighton's work in detail. The Bonhams website quotes him writing: 'The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised, as it often is to emphasise a point, his lips parted for a word that is almost a smile. That is very much as I saw him when he came as guest to a big luncheon in Westminster at which I was present a little while ago. He was the political leader there, the subtle negotiator, the manipulator of Congress, the brilliant lawyer, the statesman who knows just how to play on the psychology of friends and enemies alike.' Later, Gandhi's personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, also wrote a letter to Leighton, a copy of which is attached to the backing board. It reads: 'It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi's portrait. I am sorry I didn't see the final result, but many of my friends who saw it in the Albany Gallery said to me that it was a good likeness. I am quite sure Mr Gandhi has no objection to it being reproduced.' Also exhibited at the Boston Public Library in 1978, the Bonhams note mentions that Leighton's family recalls the portrait being displayed in 1974, 'when it was attacked with a knife by an RSS activist'. It further states that though there is no documentation to corroborate this event, the painting does show signs of restoration at several places and has a label attached to the backing board that confirms that the painting was restored in 1974 by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory.
Ottawa Citizen
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Red Wings give former Spitfire Leighton the best of both worlds
Article content It is the best of both worlds for former Windsor Spitfires player and coach Michael Leighton. Article content He wanted to remain in hockey, but after nearly two decades of pro hockey with stops in 19 different cities, the 44-year-old Leighton wasn't looking to be far away from his family and LaSalle home. Article content Article content He found that balance with the Detroit Red Wings hiring the American Hockey League hall-of-famer to be the club's new goaltending coach. Article content Article content 'I was just looking for the right job that fit myself and my family,' Leighton said. 'To move away and move away from my family would have been tough. I did pass up on a few jobs the last couple years that just weren't a fit.' Article content Article content A sixth-round pick by the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, Leighton's hockey odyssey began in 2001 in the AHL with Rockford after three solid seasons with the Spitfires. He was named to the league's all-rookie team and got his first taste of the NHL the next season with Chicago. Article content But settling into a long-term stay never played out in Leighton's career. He played in more than 500 AHL games with 12 teams and his 50 career shutouts broke Johnny Bower's all-time record in the league. He also got into more than 100 NHL games with Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina, while also spending time with Buffalo, Columbus and Montreal, and helped Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup final in 2010. There was also that season playing in the KHL with Donbass. Article content Article content Through all the travels, he had hoped to one day get closer to home and join the Red Wings' organization. Article content 'I felt, near the end of my career, I was also a mentor for these (goalies) coming out of junior and felt I got jobs to also be a mentor,' Leighton said. 'I tried my last three or four years to maybe get with Grand Rapids (Detroit's AHL affiliate), but they always seemed to have good goaltenders.' Article content He joined Marc Savard's staff with the Spitfires in 2021-223 and helped the club to back-to-back Western Conference regular-season titles behind the underrated goaltending of Xavier Medina, Matt Onuska and Joey Costanzo. Article content But when the Spitfires let first-year head coach Jerrod Smith go after a slow start in 2023-24, Leighton stepped down along with assistant coach Andy Delmore.
Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Boston Globe
After a slow start to summer tourism, New Hampshire readies for Fourth of July crowds
'We're definitely optimistic that we'll see some strong travel activity this weekend,' said Charyl Reardon, president of White Mountains Attractions Association. She said the holiday falling on a Friday could encourage more people to come for a long weekend, and she noted that Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Data from Reardon's organization shows visitation so far this summer season is about 5 percent behind last year, which Reardon attributed to the rainy weekends the state has seen. Advertisement She's not alone in gearing up for a busy weekend ahead. 'July Fourth is especially busy,' said Kathleen Flammia, executive director of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. 'Compared to years before, the only thing that is really different is that (visitors) are waiting until the last minute to book,' she said. In late June, businesses were worried they'd be down about 10 percent compared to last year, Flammia said, but now the reservations have picked up enough to outpace last year. Advertisement Martha 'Matty' Leighton, executive director of the Central New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said people are fed up with the rain, and they're not letting it keep them inside any longer. 'People are finally, they've gotten so irritated, that they're just like, 'We'll go out in the rain. We don't care,'' said Leighton, who said she has a front row seat to tourism trends since she also works for the Leighton said she's hearing that lodging is down, but people are still visiting, which suggests more people are coming for day trips. She said if the typical Fourth of July crowds don't materialize this year, it could signal a more enduring down trend. 'If we don't see a busy weekend, that would be kind of a bellwether for us,' she said. This story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Fashion Network
30-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Asda to double down on George brand as it seeks to overtake Primark in UK clothing market
The company has issued a number of results reports and updates pointing to the strength of George — which had been Britain's very first supermarket full fashion brand — and it has continued to shine, even in the face of declining supermarket sales for the business. That fact really underlines the appeal of George given that grocery sales were always seen as the key reason for shoppers to visit supermarkets with fashion being a nice add-on. It's clear with George that some people are visiting Asda with fashion as their primary motivation. Asda's aim of overtaking Primark comes as the latter saw its first post-pandemic sales fall in 2024 and warned of 'continued consumer caution in the UK'. And Evans told the Telegraph that since Leighton's recent return to Asda as executive chairman there was a renewed sense of 'clarity, belief and teamwork'. Evans told the newspaper 'we're getting back to understanding our customers. We started with Asda price and then we had a relentless focus on fixing availability. We have made staggering progress, but there is still a lot to do. 'We've invested back into hours and the stores, and you can feel it. Allan has referenced the turnaround as Everest, and he's right. We're at the start of the recovery.' George sales were up 3.5% in the first three months of the year and the company recently opened its first standalone George store in Leeds. The report of its plan for the brand comes just a few days after the company filed its 2024 accounts that showed it losing almost £600 million despite its sales rising. Its pre-tax loss during the year was £599 million, down sharply from a pre-tax profit of just over £180 million in 2023. That said, 'non-underlying' costs hit the business hard and without them it would have achieved a pre-tax profit of more than £115 million. And its operating profit before non-underlying items grew from £637 million to £671 million 'driven by an improvement in trading margins, [and] disciplined cost management through the delivery of operational efficiencies'. As mentioned, revenue rose during the year, climbing from £25.6 billion to £26.8 billion. But with its petrol stations excluded, its sales actually fell to £21.7 billion from £21.9 billion.
