Art
Historic Painting of Guru Gobind Singh in New York Auction
NEW REPORT
A large oil-on-canvas portrait of the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, will be offered for sale at the Sothebys New York Indian Art Auction on September 17, 2009.
The work is one of the highlights of the early paintings in the sale and is estimated at $50,000-70,000.
Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Sikh Gurus. At the end of his earthly sojourn, he bequeathed the Guruship to the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scripture, as the permanent and living guide and mentor of Sikhs for all time.
In this portrait, he is seated, wearing a turban adorned with a plume, with his head surrounded by a bright nimbus and a lake and mountains in the background, adding to a sense of serenity.
This portrait is part of a series of four closely-related paintings depicting Guru Gobind Singh, where each portrait was painted in turn and acted as the inspiration for the next. The final work in the series was created by artist Hari Singh, and is now displayed at the Takht Hazur Sahib Gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra; the site of Guru Gobind Singh's final congregation.
Among the other Sikh works in the sale is The Ten Sikh Gurus with Guru Nanak at Centre, from the early 20th century; it is estimated at $5,000-7,000. The work dates from a period when there was a big increase in the number of lithographs and painted photographs of spiritual figures being produced.
The third Sikh miniature in the sale depicts Maharaja Ranjit Singh riding a stallion and carrying weapons, with two foot soldiers walking alongside. Ranjit Singh was known for his passion for horses as demonstrated by the jewels being worn by his current mount. The work is also estimated at $3,000-5,000.
Sothebys is delighted to offer works of Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh and Maharaja Ranjit Singh from the 19th and 20th centuries. Miniatures are and always have been a connoisseurs market. These works have a niche but dedicated collector base. While the existing base is dominated by European, British and American collectors, it also includes a fast growing group of Sikhs from the diaspora.
　
[From news report by The Times of India]
September 11, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: G. Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), September 24, 2009, 8:07 AM.
Update: The painting sold for $254,000. Rather silly money considering it was sitting in a New York city art gallery for the past year and a half with a sticker price of $70,000.
2: Pardeep (India), April 17, 2010, 11:59 PM.
There is a large size painting of Guru Gobind Singh, oil on canvas, in a happy mood, standing beside a fort. The canvas size is 112 x 66 cms. The stamp on the canvas reads April 1947, 'Made in England'.