Lal Singh Musawir

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Lal Singh Musawir, also known as Thakur Lal Singh, was a Sikh artist and photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th century. [1] [2] Very little is known about his life. [3] He was a court-painter for Nabha State under Tikka Ripudaman Singh and also assisted Max Arthur MacAuliffe in his magnum opus, The Sikh Religion (1909), by drawing its illustrations. [4] [1] [5] A passage in the text states the following: [3]

Contents

There are also added pictures of the gurus as far as ascertainable, of famous Sikh temples, and of some scenes memorable in Sikh history. These pictures have been prepared by Bhai Lal Singh under the auspices of the Honourable Tikka (heir apparent) Ripudaman Singh, the young heir to the Nabha gadi (throne).

— Max Arthur Macauliffe, The Sikh Religion (1909)

Illustration of the author and some of his Sikh assistants, by Lal Singh Musawir, published in 'The Sikh Religion' (1909) Illustration of the author and some of his Sikh assistants, by Lal Singh Musawir, published in 'The Sikh Religion' (1909).png
Illustration of the author and some of his Sikh assistants, by Lal Singh Musawir, published in 'The Sikh Religion' (1909)

He was initially trained as a miniaturist but later delved into photography, as Nabha State showed early interest in the technology. [1] [3] In 1903, he snapped photographs of Raja Hira Singh, Lord Curzon, and other British officials at the Delhi Durbar the same year. [3] One specialty of his was painted-photographs, especially of Hira Singh. [3] There remains photographs, drawings, sketches, and paintings attributable to him. [3]

Scholarly analysis

W. H. McLeod gave a negative review of Lal Singh's work, describing it as "neat, clear and lifeless". [3] Bob van der Linden states that McLeod's condescending opinion was based on his preference for an untainted Sikh artistic tradition not influenced by foreign elements, with Lal Singh's European-influenced works being distasteful as a result. [3] R. P. Srivastava believes that Lal Singh held the Thakur title rather than Bhai and compliments his works. [3] His portraits of the Sikh gurus within The Sikh Religion align with common motifs associated with each of the ten gurus, which makes the gurus easily identifiable. [3] Certain depictions of decorated curtains in the background of his illustrations reveal he may have been familiar with studio-photography. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jacobsen, Knut A.; Myrvold, Kristina, eds. (Jan 15, 2019). "3. Visualizing Sikh warriors, royalties, and rebels: Photography in colonial Punjab". Religion and Technology in India: Spaces, Practices and Authorities. Routledge. ISBN   9781351204774. Trained as miniaturist and renowned for his illustrations in Max Arthur Macauliffe's work on the Sikh religion, the artist Lal Singh worked both as a photographer and painter for the Nabha court and in a context-sensitive manner continuously adjusted his artistic abilities to the changing taste of his patrons.
  2. ↑ McLeod, W. H. (1991). Popular Sikh Art. Oxford University Press. p. 83. ISBN   9780195627916.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Linden, Bob van der (Nov 18, 2024). "4: Visual Representations in Macauliffe's The Sikh Religion". Cultivating Sikh Culture and Identity: Art, Music and Philology. Taylor & Francis. pp. 85–111. ISBN   9781040226926.
  4. ↑ Srivastava, R. P. (1983). Punjab Painting. Abhinav Publications. pp. 27, 35, 53. ISBN   9788170171744.
  5. ↑ Macauliffe, Max Arthur (1909). The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. Vol. I–II. Clarendon Press. pp. xxvii. These pictures have been prepared by Bhai Lal Singh under the auspices of the Honourable Tikka Ripudaman Singh, the young heir to the Nabha gadi.
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