Jehangir Ardeshir Sabavala was born on 23 August, 1922, to an affluent family, including his father Ardeshir Pestonjee Sabavala, mother Meherbai—lovingly called Bapsy—and brother Sharokh. His mother’s ancestors, most notable of whom was Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, had not only been successful traders, but also essential in their patronage of buildings that have become quintessential in today’s Bombayscape, as well as patronage to charities and educational institutions. Their contributions to iconic buildings include Elphinstone College, Victoria Museum and Jehangir Art Gallery, among others. Sabavala’s mother, Bapsy, was known to be a grandiose woman who built a Home For The Blind in Bombay (now Mumbai) and established the Swabal chain of co-operative stores. His father, on the other hand, sought out education and civic responsibility. A successful lawyer, he went on to work in politics, climbing ranks from Chairman of the Bombay Electric and Suburban Tramways Corporation from 1938 to 1939 to Mayor of Bombay in 1947. Ardeshir, and later Sharokh, joined Tata Industries in the early 1940s.

Many of Sabavala’s works showcase the loneliness of his childhood, shadowed by his parents’ marriage and eventual separation in the mid-1940s. His family made the move from Churchgate to Malabar Hill in the 1860s, and he grew up in Readymoney House, a mansion on Nepean Sea Road. It was here that he would spend hours in his childhood roaming through the halls and gardens, absorbing the art of the time that the family collected, while also bearing witness to the contemporary traditions the family observed. The view of the sea from the house, the multi-hued garden and the blue skies of Mumbai would inspire the waves, mountains, skies and landscapes we have come to associate with Sabavala’s work today.

Jehangir moved several houses during this period, from Readymoney House to Europe to The Retreat in New Cuffe Parade to Aewan-E-Rafiyat in Malabar Hill. Each of these homes showcased the grandiose artistic taste of his mother. During the 1930s, she took them all over the country—Madras (now Chennai), Amritsar, Udaipur, Delhi, Bengal, Banaras and Bodh Gaya—and then on an extensive journey through Europe and Australia in 1936, and China, Japan and North America in 1939. It was in Europe that Jehangir was introduced to museums, galleries and theatres, which played a large role in influencing him to take up art. Here, he was in the august company of works by Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto, Zurbaran, Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Gericault and the Impressionists.