English: Self-portrait in-frame of Bishan Singh, from a painting of Sikh Empire-era Amritsar from the 19th century, by Baba Bishan Singh. Identified as a self-portrait at: [1]

The artist himself is also depicted in the bustling scene in the recently auctioned painting and is seen painting a portrait in an alcove of a building, which drove up interest further.

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Painting of Sikh Empire-era Amritsar from the 19th century, by Baba Bishan Singh.

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Analysis of the painting in-detail by Reddit user Arjan Singh (via: [2]):

19th century depiction of the streets of Amristar, attributed to the famed Lahore Darbar artist, Bishan Singh.

The write-up below will analyze some interesting details found within this piece, and the glimpses into history they provide.

2: In the top of this painting, we see the three major religions of the Empire of the Punjab represented. Starting from the left and panning right, we see Sikh devotees at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Muslims at prayer in a Mosque, and Hindu adherents worshipping an idol at a Mandir. I find this part of the piece to be most fascinating, as it represents the diversity found within the Sikh Empire, as well as the pluralistic policies its rulers implemented. In my personal opinion, this heavily aligns with what should be deemed as Khalsa Raj principles.

3-4: In the bottom left and right corners, we see the lives of women depicted. In the left corner, we see women working to produce textiles, many simultaneously caring for their children, while in the middle, two women partake in the traditional Punjabi folk dance of Giddha. In the bottom right, we see more women at work producing textiles, as well as many cooking up some meals in what appears to be a quick stop, market restaurant.

5: At the bottom, centre of the painting quite a lot is shown. Starting in the left, we see a street performer training his goat, while his two monkeys snack on some food. Below this, we see a man transporting livestock, while some women practice what appears to be yoga.

6: This alley scene is also packed with interesting features. At its top, we see a snake charmer entertaining a young girl and her father as well as two Sikh falconers. Below this, we see a man stringing an instrument, a woman beating a drum, and another man selling weaponry.

7: The final detail of this painting that bears pointing out is a Sikh artist at work within his studio painting a Sikh Misladar. It has been presumed by art historians that this artist is in fact Bishan Singh himself—a little easter egg perhaps for future audiences to find.

The story behind this piece resurfacing needs a write-up itself. A Sikh cabbie had acquired it a garage sale sometime in the 1980s for only £40. Thirty years later he decided to sell it off, with it auctioning for a whopping price of £92250 in 2016.