A Sikh Guru and a Prince in Conversation
1800-1825
Asia: India, Himāchal Pradesh
Not on View

At first glance, one might presume that the prominent figure on the right of this painting is the prince, and the smaller figure the Sikh guru. The opposite is true. Sikh teachers, admired for both their religious and military abilities, were portrayed in art as princely soldiers. The guru sits on a beautiful floral carpet, and he holds a bow and arrow as well as a sword. His servant fans him from behind while holding his buckler.

By contrast, the prince is seated without the traditional trappings of a royal figure. His elite status is conveyed by his rich textiles and jewelry.

Details

  • Title: A Sikh Guru and a Prince in Conversation
  • Date: 1800-1825
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: image: 8-5/8 x 6-3/8 in. (21.9 x 16.2 cm); sheet: 11-1/2 x 9 in. (29.2 x 22.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor
  • Accession Number: P.2001.13.1
  • Copyright: © Norton Simon Museum

Object Information

Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2004-04-02 to 2004-09-06

The Art of Giving: Recent Acquisitions of the Norton Simon Museum

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2002-08-02 to 2002-11-04
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection, 2004, no. 79 pp. 10, 168-169

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