Bishan Singh Lot n° 7

Scenes of life at Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple of Amritsar Northern India, Punjab, Amritsar, signed Bishan Singh, circa 1850-72 Gouache and gold on paper depicting the sacred pool of the Golden Temple animated with several scenes of life. In the foreground, men, mostly Sikhs, are depicted in various activities. On the left is a group of three sadhus, their hair dyed with henna and dressed in simple cover-ups, one preparing the sacramental drink bhang by pounding fresh hemp with spices. Further on, a scribe copies a text on a scroll, behind him a Sikh warrior stands, a man observes his hairstyle in his mirror, while another ties his turban dastar on his head or a third observes his beard fixed in a white cloth thatha. There is also a Sikh blowing a shanka into a conch shell (a gesture meant to strengthen mental, physical and spiritual health) and on the right side of the painting, a woman, the only one in the scene, is holding a child by the hand. In the background, several men in the water against the bank are busy dressing or ablutions. Behind them, in the center of the pool in which several people are swimming, dominates the Golden Temple of Amritsar, linked to the vast sacred complex of Darbar Sahib by a long white marble bridge called the Guru's Bridge. In the background is the city of Amritsar. At the top right, in gold letters detached from the blue sky, an inscription in Gurmukhi giving the name of the artist, his origin and his honorary title "Bishan singh musavar ambaratsr ji" / "Bishan Singh painter of Amritsar". Page size : 48,2 x 64,7 cm Size of painting: 34.2 x 50.9 cm Condition: some foxing, slight tears at the edges and traces of cardboard on the back The discovery of this painting from Harmandir Sahib, known as the "Golden Temple", is an important milestone in our knowledge of Bishan Singh's work. It also appears to be the only surviving painting of the Golden Temple by Bishan Singh. This unpublished work, signed by the artist and never published, is characteristic of the painter's style, which specializes in paintings of large gatherings of people, in a manner marked by meticulous attention to detail and vibrant colors. Often working on a large scale (this page is nearly 65 cm wide), the artist is careful to depict each figure in an individual and particularly refined manner. Bishan Singh (1836-1900) belonged to a family of artists who were mainly active in Lahore and Amritsar in the second half of the 19th century and were responsible for the mural decoration of Sikh holy places, including the Golden Temple and the Akal Takht in Amritsar. It was at the temple that he learned to paint with his brother Kishan Singh. In 1864, he exhibited ten works at the Punjab Exhibition of Arts and Crafts in Lahore where he won the grand prize for painting. His favourite subject seems to have been Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the "Lion of the Punjab", and his son, Maharaja Sher Singh (1807-46), and their court. A painting depicting a royal reception given by Sher Singh in the Kapany collection, dated ca. 1845, shows that the artist's style was already firmly established early in his career (Stronge 1999, cat.189, pp.166-67). Two paintings of Ranjit Singh and his court were sold at Christie's, London, on 8 October 2008, lot 245, dated 1864 and now in the Toor Collection, London, and at Sotheby's, London, on 31 March 2021, lot 44, dated 1871-72. It is very likely that our painting, which is identical in style to these large royal scenes, was also executed in the period 1850-72. A handwritten note in French on the lower margin of our second painting depicting women on a carriage (see next lot) is dated 1872, providing a useful terminus post quem to date these paintings. Expert: Cabinet MC David Expertises assisted by Camille Celier and Romain Pingannaud.