Sikh Paintings

Lahore School

When Ranjit Singh became the ruler of Lahore in 1799, he was very particular about maintaining a royal atelier, and Pahari artists were the jewels of the atelier. The Pahari painters who specialized in water color miniatures, recorded the dignified courtiers at the court, the Maharaja's riding scene, Sikh sardars, scenes of meeting foreign ministers, scenes of fighting with lion-especially of Hari Singh Nalwa killing a lion. Thus a new school of painting was born, the Lahore School of painting.

Some important painters

Gian Singh whose fresco paintings in the Golden Temple is still regarded as one of the most spectacular specimens of Sikh Painting, is definitely an artist without whom no listing of Sikh Painter would be complete. He specialized in a technique called Mohra Qashi. Flora and fauna gain prominence in his paintings.

Pandit Bihari from the court of Ranjit Singh was a great presenter of scenes of chivalry; his depiction of Hari Singh Nalwa killing a lion is one of the most popular Sikh Paintings of all time.

Contemporary painters like S.G. Thakur Singh, Sobha Singh and S. Kripal Singh are quite famous. S. Kripal Singh has dealt with controversial themes like persecution of the Sikhs by the Mughal rulers, quite beautifully and with a great deal of sensitivity.

The tranquil face of Guru Gobind Singh when juxtaposed with a scene of ferocious battle shows the vast range of Sikh Paintings. Winding floral patterns on the walls of the Golden temple shows the artistic merit of them and mixture of styles shows the colorful history of Sikh Paintings. Indeed Sikh Paintings have the color, range, history and artistic merit to rival any other art form of the world.