Art
Sotheby's To Auction Two Sikh Paintings
NEWS REPORT
Sotheby’s sale of South Asian Art including Indian Miniature Paintings in New York on Thursday,15 September, 2011, will include two superb Sikh Paintings: A Portrait Of The Sikh Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh from circa 1850 (est. 25/35,000, see image on top right); and The Sikh Maharaja (incorrectly described in the auction materials as 'Two Holy Sikh Gurus Engaged In Discourse'), dating from circa 1840 (est. $30/50,000, see image on bottom right).
The extremely fine Portrait Of The Sikh Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh [Lot 76] depicts the Maharaja seated on a gilded chair, richly bejeweled with a rosary in one hand and his sword resting on his lap. Ranjit Singh was one of the most powerful rulers in India in the nineteenth century. By the time of his death in 1839, he ruled a vast swath of territory in north-western India encompassing the entire Punjab region, Kashmir, and even parts of neighboring Afghanistan.
This portrait is remarkable not just for the quality of its detailing but also the skill with which the artist captures the nature of his sitter. Ranjit Singh lost an eye at a young age after being afflicted with smallpox. However, in the words of his foreign minister Fakir Azizuddin, the splendor and luminosity of his single eye was so much that the loss of the other was unnoticeable. His face was described as being radiant like the sun and as can be seen in the way this artist has captured the bright and alert countenance of his sitter.
In the second painting being auctioned, The Sikh Maharaja [Lot 77] - possibly of the Kingdom of Patiala - is shown, surrounded by his courtiers in a sumptuous indoor setting, engaged in a conversation with a mendicant.
September 6, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), September 06, 2011, 10:04 AM.
There's a famous couplet ascribed to Maharaja's single eye, in addition to what his most respected foreign minister Fakir Azizuddin referred to as the luminosity of the single eye blazing as a 'sun'. The couplet as best I can remember, is: "Thayree ek akh sulakhni ra-hee tipa dalay, tinu chuk chukh karn salaama do akhiaa(n) wala."
2: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), September 06, 2011, 9:43 PM.
This Lion of Punjab was an extraordinary man who held at bay the greatest empire the world has known (British) and more importantly ended almost a thousand years of Islamic rule in South Asia. We as Sikhs need to rekindle his legacy to show what Sikhs can do, which no other 'nation' has ever done or can do.
3: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), September 07, 2011, 8:08 AM.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, seated on a gilded chair, richly bejeweled with a rosary in one hand and his sword resting on his lap, shows his innate humility. Despite his many failings, he was a devout Sikh. His daily routine started with the morning 'nit nem'. He would subsequently go to Baba ji's (prayer) room and listen to paatth from Guru Granth Sahib and would then touch his eyes and forehead with Guru Gobind Singh's kalgi, of which he was the proud owner. His faith in Guru Granth Sahib was so immense that he would never take any big decision without first seeking Guru's guidance. He had such luminaries likes the saintly Fakir Azizuddin who was immensely proud of his master. Lord William Bentinck, Governor-General of British India, when he once received Fakir Sahib at Simla to discuss some inter-state affairs, casually asked which of Maharaja's eyes was blind. Fakir Sahib was visibly disturbed with such indelicate reference to his master's physical defect, and replied: "Your Excellency, the Maharaja had a single eye like the sun and nobody ever dares to take a full look at him. My eyes are always fixed on his feet. If you care, I might be able to give some information about his feet to you." Lord Bentinck was so impressed with this reply that he took his gold watch from his pocket and presented it to the Fakir. This watch is still a part of the Fakir family collection to this day. He also commented that so long as the Maharaja had men like the Fakir to serve him, no harm could come to his kingdom.