Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1870 · Opaque watercolor on paper · Asian Art

Indian portraiture in the later nineteenth century assumed not only the external trappings of European painting but also the poise of studio photographs. This portrait of a Mysore raja is a splendid example of the genre. The sitter, probably Krishnaraja III (r. 1799–1868) of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore, is attended by a senior courtier. The artist captured the sitter’s lively intelligence as he gazes at the viewer, as if seated in a studio facing the camera lens. The maharaja wears a black tunic with a white lungi (skirt cloth) and sits on an ivory chair, emulating European models. The glazed floor tiles are likely of English manufacture, as is the double-glass wall lamp. Krishnaraja III retained his royal income under British rule and pursued an active life of intellectual pursuits, including mathematics, astrology, and inventing board games.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1870

Medium

Opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

India, Mysore, Karnataka

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, by exchange, 2022