A woman is bending down to light a brass lamp in front of a deity, an evening ritual in many Indian homes. The light on her face has a photographic exactness to it. This play of light and shade is also usually seen in oils. But the artist remarkably drew this out in watercolours. The shine of the brass lamp, the framed picture of Ganesha and the shadows on the wall create an intimate indoor scene. The woman in the picture was Haldankar’s daughter, Lilavati.

The artist created a series of paintings with the sacred lamp as the central source of light. The series was called ‘Glow of Hope’ and Divine Flame is one the paintings of the series. Born in 1882, S L Haldankar was one of the last academic realists. He was trained at the JJ School of Art.

Stalwarts such as MV Dhurandhar and Antonio Trinidade were among his mentors. He was a master portraitist, accomplished both in oils and watercolour. His landscapes in watercolour were particularly inspiring for many younger artists.