Babe Nanak 's parents called a physician
Details
Artform
Sikh Miniature
Artist
Avtar Singh
Dimensions
16 x 12 In.
Medium
Gouache on Wasli
Framing
Unframed
Learn More
The Painting
This Sikh miniature painting, hand-painted by Avtar Singh, depicts a scene from Guru Nanak’s early life taken from his Janamsakhi. The illustrated scene portrays young Guru Nanak, immediately after finishing his education and refusing to work alongside his father, meditating. His parents painted towards the left and right side of the painting, concerned about his health call upon an Ayurvedic doctor. But before the doctor could check his pulse and prescribe medication, a famous conversation took place between Nanak and the physician. Here Guru Nanak proclaims that he is healthy in mind and body, and wishes to meditate on the name of God in response to the physician who suggested that Guru Nanak needs a break from his grief, apart from this he is physically fine. Here Guru Nanak describes the various mental ailments and ignorance that lead a man astray from God. He has used gouache, an opaque watercolor medium, on Wasli, which is a traditional handmade sheet used for painting miniatures. It is made using sheets of paper and cooking flour (as gum).
The Artform
Sikh miniature painting tradition flourished in Punjab Hills around the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the Sikh religion is over 500 years old, it was during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) that the miniature school came into its own with many Pahari artists migrating to the court of Ranjit Singh in the 19th century, and their work doing the rounds in Amritsar, Lahore and Patiala, giving rise to this school of painting, which is influenced by Mughal and Pahari miniature tradition. Sikh miniatures are simplistic and formalist and often portray the lives and exploits of the Sikh Gurus.
The Artist
Born in 1982, Avtar Singh is a Sikh miniature artist based in Punjab. He has an M.F.A from Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab. He works on different mediums such as traditional miniature painting, wash technique, ink on paper, and watercolor on paper. His works are based on spiritualism derived from the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru. He also delves into the changing socio-political and environmental conditions in Punjab using humans, birds, animals, and drugs in the contemporary age. His works have been shown in several group exhibitions such as ‘Panjab Kala Bhavan’, Chandigarh, 2018-19; at ‘Jawahar Kala Kendra’, Jaipur; at ‘Panjabi University’, Patiala, and ‘Panjab University’, Chandigarh; as well as solo show in ‘Panjabi University’, Patiala. He has won a silver medal in the ‘Kalavart Nyas Award’, Ujjain for his miniature painting. His works have been acquired by ‘National Gallery’, Amritsar, and selected for the ‘Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi Annual Show 2018 & 2022.
Provenance
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Other details
The price you see is for an unframed painting. If you want us to custom frame the artwork, please drop us a message. We highly encourage this, framing is an art by itself :) The artwork you will receive is as close to the original artwork as possible but as with all things handmade, there may be minute differences in color and motifs, truly rendering each artwork one of a kind. Trust the process!