Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1700 · Opaque watercolor on paper · Asian Art

The youthful Dhairaj Singh (1697–1726) sits on his beautiful piebald stallion. Both rider and rearing horse are shown in profile, their elegant contours silhouetted against a lime green ground. The maharaja wears a white tunic (jama) with green floral designs, a matching waist sash (patka), and an orange turban tied in the Central Indian manner. He displays two swords and a punch dagger (katar). His stallion wears a simple harness and trappings, a white plume, and a braided mane. Although young, Dhairaj Singh had a reputation for valor that extended well beyond his domain; he was received by the rulers of Mewar and Jaipur and entered into marriage alliances with both families. Slain in combat at twenty-nine while subduing a rebellious clan, he is named in the Devanagari inscription above the portrait. .

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1700

Medium

Opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

Central India, Raghugarh

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

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