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Sikh Miniature Artists In Darbar Sahib, Amritsar
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 Harmandir Sahib: the Golden Temple at Amritsar |
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Harmandir Sahib: the Golden Temple at Amritsar The quietude that essentially belongs to this large and elegant structure is well captured in this simple, clean work. For all its simplicity....The work does not set out to be an architectural drawing--even if it might have been inspired by a large nineteenth-century map of the place now in the small museum within the sacred complex--it is intended to be an invocation. Excerpt From I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion This Punjabi miniature painting of the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) was created in Amritsar in the nineteenth century, circa 1840. The image depicts the temple after Maharajah Ranjit Singh’s major restoration of the holiest of gurdwaras was completed. Rendered in watercolor and gold on paper,[1] this work (25.1x27.5 cm) exemplifies conventions of space and detail common to Indian miniature painting, whilst representing the physical layout and symbolism of the temple complex’s architecture. The artistry of the Golden Temple and the tradition of North-Indian miniature painting share a common versatility. Each is influenced by a range of sources, drawing from the unique forms of Islamic, Persian, Rajput and Mughal designs. Until the early nineteenth century, Sikh painting was limited to temple murals, such as those within the temple of Amritsar.[2] Sikh paintings from this time are often categorized as belonging to the Pahari School of miniature painting, which developed in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. This distinctly North-Indian style grew out of two preexisting influences: Mughal and Rajasthani painting. Mughal aestheticism produced vivid, colorful realism. In contrast, Rajasthani painting was strongly tied to folk-art and classical mythology, which appealed to the Rajput sense of the heroic. Pahari painting blends Mughal realism with classical symbolism. [3] The works of the Sikh school of Pahari painting—the last stage of the style’s development—are considered to be less elegant. [4] In this painting, the Amritsar temple complex is depicted with simplicity of form, while having complicity of perspective. The grayish reflecting tank and its white-stucco perimeter are flattened and compressed to what appears to be a one-dimensional aerial-view. In contrast, the gold-and-marble temple (center), and the great gate Darshani Deorhi (right) each is painted in a strict two-dimensional profile view, as an observer at ground level might see the edifices. The pristine details of each structure are visible. At the very focal point of the painting, in the center of the ornate Golden Temple, a Guru sits in prayer. He reads the Granth Sahib while holding the ceremonial chauri.[5] The causeway which connects the temple and gate (and its paths around the temple) is depicted in yet a third perspective of space, showing the accessibility of the temple to all. This manipulation of spatial perspective reveals three principle themes of the Amritsar temple complex: the expansiveness of the legendary pool for which the city of Amritsar was named, the enigmatic, divine beauty of the Guru’s seat, and the casteless accessibility of the temple. Notes |