Guru Tegh Bahadur, The Ninth Sikh Guru, Northern India or Pakistan, Ca. 1670, Opaque watercolor on paper, 22.2 × 16.5 cm (image); 27.3 × 20.9 cm (overall)Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Gift of the Kapany Collection, 1998.94
“Sikh Art from the Kapany Collection contains a large number and variety of portraits of Sikh Gurus, mostly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The oldest portrait in this selection is of Guru Tegh Bahadur (image on left) and is dated to approximately 1670. It is unusual in its simplicity of background and composition. There are no attendants, and there is little ornamentation, with the exception of the falcon and the halo (or nimbus). These signs of sovereignty, temporal and spiritual, respectively, are common both in Mughal miniatures and in Sikh portraiture of the period. The style of clothes and turban worn by Guru Tegh Bahadur also fit the portraiture of Mughal emperors, although their simplicity distinguishes the representation of the spiritual leader. The style of this portrait is likely influenced by the fact that, as was often the case, the artist would have been trained in or inspired by the painters of the Mughal court or those of vassal states. If the dating is accurate, it would mean that the portrait was done in the Guru’s lifetime, although that is no indication that the Guru modeled for it.”
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Chapter 4: The Sikh Gurus: Works of Art in the Kapany Collection
The Kapany Collection, built over decades by Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany and his wife, Satinder Kaur Kapany, brings together nearly 300 pieces of Sikh art, from hand-painted manuscripts to bold modern canvases. Museums and scholars prize the collection because it lets people see Sikh history, faith, and creativity all in one place.
This month’s spotlight comes from Sikh Art from the Kapany Collection, Chapter 4, “The Sikh Gurus,” written by Professor Pashaura Singh. We’ve picked ten images, each showing a different moment in the lives of Guru Nanak through Guru Gobind Singh. Some works are two-hundred-year-old miniatures; others are vivid contemporary portraits. Together they highlight the Gurus’ core messages, equality, courage, and seva (selfless service), and remind us why those teachings still guide Sikhs around the world today.
Click on a piece to learn more about its meaning, history, and details.
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