[6] Bishan Singh was born in 1836 into a Ramgarhia family of artists that flourished in the 19th century who operated in Lahore and Amritsar.

[7] In 1866, ten of Bishan Singh's works were displayed at the exhibition of arts and crafts held at Lahore.

[7] Baden-Powell and Percy Brown levied the following observations and critiques of Bishan Singh's work after viewing them at the exhibition:[7] ... the perspective of the buildings is incorrect but the figure drawing is admirable.

[16] Bishan Singh was skilled in arabesque and was responsible for the commencement of fresh and bright brush strokes.

[8] In his self-portrait, the material and mode he utilized was watercolour on cardboard, with him facing and looking directly at the viewer from the front, with his physical characteristics and facial features portrayed as aged and realistic, which is in-line with the Western method of portraiture.

[6] The taxi driver, who did not realize or know the true worth of the painting he possessed for all those years, would sell it decades later for £92,250 (US$133,500) at a Roseberys auction.