A historical and prominent art gallery in Mumbai, the Jehangir Art Gallery was set up in 1952 by Sir Cowasji Jehangir, a baronet, an industrialist and noted member of the Parsi community in Mumbai who was actively involved in the Indian Independence struggle. His association with the atomic scientist and patron of arts Homi Bhabha and the painter KK Hebbar precipitated a push for the gallery. Jehangir donated the mansion that houses the gallery; constructed by Durga Bajpai with galleries designed by GM Bhuta, it is an important architectural landmark and one of the first concrete structures to be built in the city.

Inaugurated on January 21, 1952, by BG Kher, the then Chief Minister of Bombay State, the gallery was dedicated to the memory of Jehangir’s late son, Jehangir Cowasji. It is located in the Kala Ghoda neighbourhood, the historic art district in Mumbai, and has been an important site for the renaissance of Indian arts, and modernism, in particular. The gallery neighbours many significant cultural institutions such as the Prince of Wales Museum (now the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya), the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai and the Arts Trust. The building has an auditorium and five galleries, as well as a gallery on the terrace meant for exhibiting photography. Built in an early modernist style, these galleries are placed inside the structure as vestibules. In 1975, the museum committee established a library with an array of books on art and culture and offices to lease and sell (originals and reproductions) of art. The gallery continues to be managed by the Bombay Art Society.

In a city with several commercial and privately owned spaces, the gallery is a remarkable public institution. It has tie-ins with the Maharashtra Tourism Board and is an important fixture on the city’s cultural map. Besides exhibitions, the gallery hosts events such as workshops, lectures and festivals directed towards education and engagement with art. Around 300 shows are organised annually, among which is the Monsoon Art Show which focuses on platforming emerging artists. The All India Art Exhibition, which has been organised since 1888 by the Bombay Art Society, is mounted in the halls of the gallery. Historically, the gallery has exhibited the works of modernists such as MF Husain, SH Raza, Jamini Roy, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar, Anjolie Ela Menon, KG Subramanyan and KK Hebbar.

The gallery is open to the public on all days of the week from 11 AM to 7 PM and charges no entry fee.