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This self-portrait by Jehangir Sabavala—almost always referred to as the gentleman-artist for his elegant bearing—is a rare work from the repertoire of the Bombay modernist who forged his own vocabulary at a time when the Western metropolis was under the overarching influence of the Progressives. Having trained at some of the top art schools of Paris and London, Sabavala came to be known for his cubist landscapes in his preferred muted colours. He chose to express things of joy and beauty in his work rather than focus on socio-political turmoil around him.