Description

A sensitively observed portrait study of a Sikh gentleman shown in profile, wearing a turban and traditional dress. The sitter is represented with particular attention to the physiognomy, beard, and arrangement of the turban, while the restrained handling and largely unworked surrounding sheet give the drawing the immediacy of a study made for workshop use rather than a fully finished presentation portrait.

The drawing belongs to the broader tradition of portraiture that flourished in nineteenth-century Punjab, where Sikh patrons, regional courts, urban workshops, and increasingly diverse artistic practices sustained a strong interest in individualized likeness. The sitter’s identity remains unknown.

Several faint contemporary handwritten annotations on the verso in a cursive North Indian script, possibly of the Laṇḍā–Mahajani family; apparently comprising abbreviated working, numerical, or accounting-type notations. Presently only partially legible and not securely transcribed.

Condition

The sheet is in stable antique condition consistent with age and use. Overall toning and discoloration are present, together with scattered spotting, staining, surface soiling, handling marks, minor abrasions, creasing and irregularities to the paper. The verso exhibits additional staining, scattered ink or pigment marks, and faint contemporary handwritten annotations.

Provenance 

Private Collection, Hawaii.

Private Collection, New York, acquired from the above in the 2000s.

References

Archer, W. G. Paintings of the Sikhs. London: Victoria and Albert 

Museum, 1966.

Archer, W. G. Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills: A Survey and History of Pahari Miniature Painting. 2 vols. London: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1973.

Goswamy, B. N. Piety and Splendour: Sikh Heritage in Art. New Delhi: National Museum, 2000.

Stronge, Susan, ed. The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms. London: V&A Publications, 1999.

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