50 ‘rare’ letters on display at Andretta art gallery give insights into Sobha Singh’s life philosophy

On the occasion of the 124th birth anniversary of legendary artist Sobha Singh on Saturday, the Sobha Singh Art Gallery and Museum at Andretta village here today unveiled its first-ever archival section offering an unprecedented window on the master’s creative world, artistic philosophy and the profound respect he commanded across society.

For the first time, around 50 rare letters written to and by Sobha Singh have been curated and displayed for public viewing. These priceless documents include correspondence from the President of India, Governors, Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, foreign ambassadors, and prominent national and international religious organisations, including the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

The archive also showcases letters from Vice-Chancellors of universities, senior Army officers on regimental artworks and martyr portraits and invaluable exchanges with eminent Sikh scholars such as Bhai Vir Singh. Also displayed are deeply personal handwritten letters from cultural icons and close friends of the artist, including Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Balraj Sahni, celebrated novelist Nanak Singh and other towering literary figures.

This newly established section provides scholars, researchers, artists, students and art lovers with a unique opportunity to explore the genesis of Sobha Singh’s major paintings, understand the evolution of his creative thought and appreciate the remarkable stature he held across diverse fields.

The exhibits reveal fascinating distinctions. While most institutional correspondence is typed, nearly all letters exchanged between Sobha Singh and his writer and artist friends are handwritten, reflecting an intimate, personal bond. Notably, despite his demanding responsibilities as Chief Minister and later Union Cabinet Minister, Surjeet Singh Barnala, consistently wrote handwritten and respectful letters to the artist, whom he regarded as his teacher in painting.

The displayed documents represent only a small selection from the museum’s extensive archive of over two thousand letters. The museum has also announced an upcoming publication of a curated volume featuring nearly 200 significant letters next year, an effort that is expected to dispel long-standing myths and shed clearer light on Sobha Singh’s life, vision and legacy.

The archive section marks a major step in preserving and presenting the factual, historical and cultural context behind Sobha Singh’s iconic works, ensuring that future generations gain deeper insight into the artist who transcended boundaries of region, religion and time. Rajitha Babu Sood, a visitor from Noida, inaugurated the archive section.