Atsushi Ikeda
PhD Candidate, History of Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, United Kingdom. Email: ikedatsushi@gmail.com
Volume 3, Number 1, 2019 I Full Text PDF
Abstract
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one of the greatest patrons in the early modern period of South Asia. Under his sovereignty, local ateliers like the Imam Bakhsh workshop developed and many European artists like August Schefft and Emily Eden visited the Punjab region. His reign was also the period of economic and social growth, which fostered the spirit of Punjabi cultural identity across the Sikh Kingdom. Representations of Ranjit Singh changed significantly from his lifetime to posthumous portraits; the latter is characterized by advanced pictorial expression rather than the simply realistic technique. More development is evident in the colonial period, when the number of single portraits increased perhaps due to the import of small media like ivory and mica. Portraits of Ranjit Singh represent increasing European influence on Sikh art.
Keywords: Sikh art, portraiture, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, early 19th century
