AN ILLUSTRATION DEPICTING MAHARANA BHIM SINGH WITH A COURTIER

Nimbate with a golden halo the youthful Maharana Bhim Singh (r. 1778-1828) of Mewar sits gesturing to a respectful courtier, within the frame of an open jharokha window. A lotus -filled pond ripples beneath.

Maharana Bhim Singh of the great Sisodia clan of Rajputana ruled the princely state of Mewar in Rajasthan from his capitol at Udaipur. The present work is a rare depiction of the Rana as a young man, having ascended to the throne at age ten.  Though the political fortunes and treasury of Udaipur had become dissipated by the time Bhim Singh reigned he was nonetheless an enthused patron of painting with a large number of formal portraits of him and his court produced throughout his reign, some like the present example being of quite high quality. His older and very portly figure appearing in paintings though 1826, the later royal atelier included the artists Bagta and Chokha who both later moved on to new patronage in Devgarh.

Refer to A.Topsfield, Paintings From Rajasthan, Victoria, 1980, cat. 202, pp. 134.