19th-century Sikh school miniature painting
This finely executed 19th-century Sikh school miniature painting reflects the stylistic influence of the late Mughal and Islamic artistic traditions. It depicts Sikh gurus engaged in a serene conversation by a lakeside, surrounded by a beautifully rendered landscape of trees, distant hills, and calm waters. The vivid yet balanced palette, graceful gestures, and attention to textile patterns demonstrate the refinement and spiritual atmosphere characteristic of 19th-century North Indian miniature art.
The painting is rendered on wasli paper, a traditional handmade layered surface prized for its strength, smoothness, and ability to preserve colors over centuries.
On the verso, the artwork bears the seal of Maharaja Dheeraj Singh Bahadur of Kishanganj, India, adding both historical provenance and cultural importance to the piece.
CHSOS Collection – item #54
Technical Photography
This 19th-century Sikh school miniature painting on paper shows pigments with distinctive UV fluorescence colors, while the IR image reveals details of the underdrawing. The most revealing, however, is the Transmitted Infrared (IRT) image. In this setup, infrared radiation penetrates deeper into the support, allowing hidden writing and compositional changes to emerge clearly. When the examination is performed with the back of the painting facing the camera, the amount of recoverable information often increases, as it does in this case. The analysis not only exposes previously unseen inscriptions but also provides valuable insight into the artist’s working process, revealing preliminary sketches, corrections, and the layering technique typical of Indian miniature painting.
Learn Technical Photography for Art Examination
Technical Photography is one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—tools for the scientific examination of art and archaeology. If you are a conservator, scientist, or art collector and you are not yet familiar with this method, it is truly a missed opportunity. Using simple, affordable equipment and a clear methodology, Technical Photography allows you to reveal underdrawings, retouchings, material differences, and conservation issues in a completely non-invasive way. Far from being complex or inaccessible, it is an easy entry point into scientific analysis. In many cases, Technical Photography represents the first essential step toward a deeper understanding of artworks and archaeological objects.
Scientific Art Examination – Resources:
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) – USA
The British Museum – Scientific Research Department – UK
Scientific Research Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France) – France
Rijksmuseum – Science Department – Netherlands
