'Moonshee Bishun Singh, Maha Raja Ranjeet Singh, Raja Dian Singh, Sirdar Dulla Singh', 1850 (c)

Watercolour on European paper, by a Company artist, Punjab, 1850 (c).

As a child, Ranjit Singh lost an eye and suffered facial scarring from smallpox. Punjab artists do not shy away from depicting this. The thick gouache or bodycolour (undiluted watercolour) used in Company paintings is ideally suited to depicting the richly-patterned and jewelled robes worn here by Ranjit Singh and his court.

Dignitaries, local rulers and colourful characters were standard subjects for Company paintings in the Punjab.