Maharaja Sher Singh

In 1838, the English amateur artist Emily Eden painted portraits of many well-known members of the Sikh courts while she and her sister were guests of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar and Lahore. Many of her works were later published upon her return to England. Ranjit Singh’s son, Sher Singh (reigned 1841–1843), was the Edens’ host and they spent much time with him and his family. Here we see Sher Singh seated casually on a chair throne, clothed elegantly with regal aplomb, and represented in European style. The painterliness of this image gives it a documentary quality, as if the artist, as eyewitness, is painting from observation and not memory.