Portraying the Guru

The study breaks a fresh ground in the study of Sikh art after the pione­ering contributions of W.H. McLeod and B.N. Goswamy in the similar field. The book on Sikh art evolution is centred on portraits of Sikh Gurus from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It examines around two hundred and fifty texts of art, available in different mediums, scattered across museums and private collections in different countries. It goes to the credit of the scholar for pointing out how Guru Nanak’s portraiture catered to the spiritual and cultural needs not only of ordinary Sikhs but also satisfied the expectations of the newly formed urban middle class. The scholar critically reviews Harjot Oberoi’s study and emphasizes the significant role of Sikh art in the formation of a distinct Sikh community’s identity. The author took note of how the Singh Sabha Move­ment (1873-1909) and the Akali Movement of 1920 onwards, popularized devotional portraits of Guru Nanak even though idolatry is forbidden in the sacred text Guru Granth Sahib. It underlines how there was a paradigm shift in the mentality of Sikh society under the colonial impact of the British Raj.