Kapur Singh (artist)

{{Short description|Sikh artist}}

{{Infobox artist

| name = Kapur Singh

| image = Portrait of the Sikh artist Kapur Singh.jpg

| style = Sikh School

| children = Sardul Singh

}}

Kapur Singh (fl. 1860–1890{{Cite web |last=Toor |first=Davinder S. |date=2018 |title=Artists |url=https://toorcollection.com/artists |access-date=15 October 2024 |website=Toor Collection}}), commonly referred to as Kapur Singh of Amritsar and also as Kapur Singh of Kapurthala, was a Sikh artist who experimented in murals, oil paintings, and works on paper.{{Cite web |title=Lot 218: Kapur Singh of Amristar attributed, study of a glassblower, circa 1880, gouache on paper, within mauve border, 16.2 x 11.2cm. |url=https://www.roseberys.co.uk/a0541-lot-522454 |access-date=9 September 2024 |website=Roseberys}}{{Cite web |title=Kapur Singh of Amritsar |url=https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Kapur-Singh-of-Amritsar/D771E21442453804/Biography |access-date=10 September 2024 |website=Mutual Art}}{{Cite book |last=Relia |first=Anil |title=The Indian Portrait - 10 |last2=Roberts |first2=Julian |date=17 September 2019 |publisher=Archer Art Gallery |isbn=9788193171851 |pages=94–95}}{{Cite book |last=Narula |first=S. S. |title=Aspects of Punjabi Culture |publisher=Department of Development of Punjabi Language, Punjabi University |year=1995 |pages=99}} He was the son of Kishan Singh and nephew of Bishan Singh. He was amongst the most famous Sikh painters of the 19th century. He worked almost entirely in watercolour, focusing on Company paintings depicting normal life in the Punjab. Kapur Singh painted a large number of figure subjects, miniature in size.{{Cite book |last=Archer |first=William George |title=Paintings of the Sikhs |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |year=1966 |pages=95}} Kapur Singh would depict everyday life scenes of the local populace, such as different occupational workers in varying crafts and trades.{{Cite journal |last=Kaur |first=Sukhandeep |last2=Viranjan |first2=Ram |date=January–June 2023 |title=A Historical Overview of Emergence and Development of Sikh Art in Punjab |url=https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/293/408/3680 |journal=ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=389–402 |doi=10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i1.2023.293 |eissn=2582-7472 |doi-access=free}}

Kapur Singh closely observed the European painters whilst he was in Kapurthala, and made detailed note of their usage of oil painting procedures. After observing the foreign artists, Kapur Singh would adopt their techniques of oil and watercolour painting and become a master in it himself. However, Kapur also delved in producing miniatures.

Kapur Singh is noted for being the only late-19th century Sikh artist who successfully made the transition toward oil painting in the western style. Much of his surviving work was inscribed in English. His realistic portrayals betray his miniaturist-origins in the attention to detail evident in them. Though many works of his have survived, a fact owing to his popularity of the time, his works were never able to be innovative like that of his father and uncle before him.

Kapur Singh had a son named Sardul Singh, whom was an esteemed painter and photographer of Amritsar active around the year 1900.{{Cite news |date=25 October 2020 |title=The little-known artists from region |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/arts/the-little-known-artists-from-region-160869 |work=The Tribune |archive-date=16 June 2021 |access-date=10 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616224834/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/arts/the-little-known-artists-from-region-160869 |url-status=dead }}