G. S. Haldankar

A watercolourist and dedicated educator, G. S. Haldankar carried forward the academic tradition of Bombay painting with lyrical landscapes, thoughtful portraits, and a lifelong commitment to art education.

Gajanan Savlaram Haldankar, known professionally as G. S. Haldankar, was an Indian painter and art educator born in 1912 in Sawantwadi, Maharashtra, into a distinguished artistic family. He was the eldest son of the acclaimed realist painter Sawlaram Lakshman Haldankar and received his foundational artistic training under his father’s guidance, absorbing a deep commitment to technical discipline and observational acuity.

Though he did not pursue formal academic training, G. S. Haldankar developed a refined artistic voice grounded in academic realism, favouring watercolour as his primary medium. His works often explore subtle gradations of light and carefully observed detail, whether in contemplative landscapes or sensitive portraiture. Haldankar participated actively in exhibitions across India and won several distinctions through his involvement with art societies including awards at the Bombay Art Society and exhibitions in Calcutta and Mysore in the 1930s.

Beyond his practice, Haldankar contributed significantly as a teacher. For over six decades, he taught drawing and painting at Haldankar’s Fine Art Institute, the school founded by his father, and served as a visiting lecturer at the Government College of Art & Craft in Bombay. He was involved with major art committees and judging panels, promoting a culture of artistic excellence and continuity within India’s realist tradition.

In 1998–99, his works were showcased alongside his father’s in the The Great Indian Master Painters retrospective at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Mumbai, consolidating his place in the lineage of Indian academic painting.