Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1710–15 · Opaque watercolor with gold on paper · Asian Art

This highly personal portrait of Raj Singh of Sawar (r. 1705–30) shows him in full profile, as if he is presenting himself at a palace balcony window (jharoka) for a public audience. Here, however, the arched terrace at which he sits resplendently is set in a private garden overlooking a grassy landscape populated only by waterfowl. In this private inner world, Raj Singh holds a flower bud in his raised hand, an allusion to his aesthetic accomplishments. He is attended by two women, one holding a tray with slender glass bottles of rosewater and the other waving a fan of peacock feathers. The arcade is painted with floral designs in the style of Mughal pietra dura (hardstone inlay), and a Mughal-style carpet is draped over the terrace balustrade, adding a richness to the portrait.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1710–15

Medium

Opaque watercolor with gold on paper

Culture

India, Sawar, Rajasthan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

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