Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1851 · Opaque watercolor with gold on cotton cloth · Asian Art

This spectacular portrayal of a royal wedding represents the culmination of a long tradition of compositions that recorded different aspects of royal life in and around Udaipur Palace. The groom, the maharaja of Kota, arrives at the palace of his bride, Phul Kunvar Bai, a princess of the Mewar family. He is shown twice: first, at lower left, arriving by elephant accompanied by an entourage of noblemen and ranked soldiers; and second, claiming his bride by symbolically striking with a whip an entrance arch (torana) suspended from the zenana mahal, the private quarters of the royal women. The bride’s father, Maharana Sarup Singh of Mewar (r. 1842–61), is seated on a terrace, witness to the moment. The painting’s rich details, some whimsical in nature, add a human quality to this public expression of political alliance.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1851

Medium

Opaque watercolor with gold on cotton cloth

Culture

India, Kota, Rajasthan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

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