Two enamel portraits, depicting Maharaja Sajjan Singh of Ratlam and the Maharaja of Sandur, signed by Raoul Hideux, Paris, the first early 20th century, the second dated 1915

Raoul Hideux was the son of Charles Hideux the famous Parisian photographer. In 1898 he founded a new studio on rue Meyerbeer, close to the Paris Opera that was met with high praise. Le Figaro wrote on the 30 November 1898 "the most beautiful enamels of the Narbonne Museum, even those of the famous Limousin painter Pierre Raymond, are not superior to the new enamel-miniatures on copper by Raoul Hideux of which everyone in the artistic world is talking about at the moment. It is a marvelous discovery, the models of which can be seen at Raoul Hideux, rue Meyerbeer. It is to be recommended to artists and to all people of taste." They later relocated to rue de la Paix and in 1910, the famous Swiss enamel painter Gabriel Dufaux joined the studio. 

Major-General Maharaja Sir Sajjan Singh Bahadur (1880-1947) was a British Indian Army officer and the Maharaja of Ratlam State ruling from 1893 until 1947. The only son of Ranjit Singh he succeeded to the head of state at the age of thirteen. In 1911 he was promoted to Major and served on the Western Front during the First World War. He also served in the Third Anglo-Afghan War as aide-de-camp. And was also aide-de-camp to King George V and the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) during his tour of India between 1921 and 1922. He was also a renowned polo player.

The second portrait is of Raja Shrimant Venkatarao Ramchandrarao Ghorpade, Hindurao, Mamlukatmadar Senapati (1892-1927), Raja of Sandur, succeeded on the death of his father and reigned under a council of Regency until he came of age in 1913. He received a medal at the Delhi Durbars of 1903 and 1911. 

For two further portraits of princely rulers by Raoul Hideux in the present sale, see lot 142.