May

May

Artist: Jaspal Singh, India
Title: King Louis Philippe
Medium: Oil Painting
Commissioner: Balwinder Singh

Two grand portraits of King Louis-Philippe I of France and Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab symbolise mutual admiration, as their imperial flags stand united, signifying friendship across the continents.

Below, the Sikh and French forces meet with respect, as the French present an exquisite set of armour, embodying Louis-Philippe’s esteem for Ranjit Singh’s martial prowess and magnanimity.

Centred above, the 1835 Ornamental Letter of Credence reflects how King Louis-Phillipe cherished their bond. It addresses Ranjit Singh as “Rendjit Sing Bahador – Padichah du Pendjab”, meaning “Ranjit Singh the Brave, King of Punjab”. This alliance underscores Punjab’s prominent position on the global stage, with its leader’s virtues and victories internationally recognised by one of Europe’s most powerful monarchs.

Artist

Jaspal Singh, India

Jaspal Singh is a self taught fine artist who loves to experiment with various media in his practice of creating life on paper. His work has been exhibited at the National Museum, New Delhi (February 2020). In the spirit of pushing, and breaking barriers he ventured into digital art. With a deep passion for miniature portraits in his own words he expressed that “Each portrait for me is a gift, as I get to meet new people, learn their stories and experiences and explore deeper meanings to not just my subject and my work but even life. Every piece of artwork I make, I cherish. It gives me immense satisfaction, a reason to rejoice, a chance to dream big and think beyond predefined lines.”

With great pride in embracing his Sikh heritage and instiling those values in his life. Jaspal has dedicated his life to his artistic work, embracing a deep sense of duty and responsibility to use his artistic skill to provide for his household. Jaspal creates wonderfully detailed works with limited resources and materials, such as using a single stick of charcoal, or simple biro pen. He describes his approach to learning and inspiration as “I love reading up on the works and lives of artists, to try to understand their inspirations and struggles to gain knowledge from their experiences, with a goal to build myself and our community stronger and better.”