Conventional in its subject yet quite freely painted, this portrait of a ruler appearing at a jharokha or palace window depicts Fateh Singh of Sitamau, a small former princely state within modern Madhya Pradesh. Holding his hookah tube and resting a hand on a coverlet draping the balcony, the moustachioed Raja is framed by the cusped window surround. An abbreviated attendant figure and ornamental lion appear on the right. The architectural and textile details are boldly brushed in, with the use of washes. This picture can be attributed to Svarup Ram, an artist associated with the city of Mandsaur in the same region.
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum