Teju Cole, in The New Inquiry, asks of the above painting (which predates Sikhism): Why is this man wearing a turban?

The gray-eyed gaze of the man in the painting is a dare. Show me who’s done it better, he seems to say. Didn’t think so, he adds.

I am not well-versed in analyzing works of art. However, it does appear that the man in the painting is also making another statement: