Lincoln divided his new show into two parts: flower fields in the Oxfordshire countryside, juxtaposed with memories of India, and dramatic scenes from his favourite city, Venice, La Serenissima.

He has been observing India over the years while staying in Udai Bilas Palace, Gujarat. His old friend and patron, Maharaja of Dungarpur, collects Lincoln’s paintings and prints, as well as vintage motorcars and aeroplanes for his private museums.

He offered Lincoln in return, the luxury of a mirrored suite of rooms in the palace, to paint in tranquillity, and a driver to take him in search of paintable people and places.

Lincoln Seligman (British artist, born 1950, former City lawyer) first won acclaim for abstract sculpture in the forecourts of public buildings, later for luminous depictions of Indian life, and studies of Venice.

During 2020, compelled to remain in the UK, travel forbidden in a world fractured by the pandemic, he immersed himself in the profusion of wildflowers near his home, seeing a parallel with the massed crowds and vivid turbans of India.

His new Indian paintings are re-imaginings from collections of sketchbooks, painted as if through a film of gauze, rather than with the forceful brushwork of past times. He has added a fanciful touch with portraits of the legendary Venetian seductress, the Marchesa (Luisa) Casati, known to promenade the streets with her pet cheetahs on a leash.

Lincoln Seligman’s paintings attract collectors for their luminous colour and joie de vivre. Names of consequence include the New York Public Library, the European Parliament, Royal Palace at Riyadh, international brands Chanel, Tiffany, Laurent Perrier, Standard International Bank, and such grand names as the Dukes of Devonshire and Roxburghe.

He has an enduring passion for India, finding new inspiration on every journey.

In his own words, Lincoln explains his fascination with India:

Rudyard Kipling was my mother’s godfather, so my childhood was infused with Just So Stories and The Jungle Book, and I grew up with the idea of India as a magical place.

In addition, my paternal grandmother, Hilda McDowell had many connections with India, knew Gandhi well, and entertained him in London. She was an author and campaigner, but also a sculptor, so I realized early on that artists existed and could create beautiful things.