Who painted Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto)?

Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto) was painted by Raja Deen Dayal in 1884.

Where can I see Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto)?

Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto)?

Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto)

Raja Deen Dayal , 1884

Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto) is a photography by the Impressionist artist Raja Deen Dayal. It dates from 1884 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The image depicts a British army officer in full dress uniform, standing rigidly with a sword in one hand and a hat in the other.

About this work

Overview

The image depicts a British army officer in full dress uniform, standing rigidly with a sword in one hand and a hat in the other. Executed in black‑and‑white, the portrait captures the formal bearing typical of military portraiture in the late nineteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The officer’s pose conveys authority and the ceremonial aspects of colonial military presence in India. By presenting the figure in full regalia, the photograph underscores the visual language of power that British officials employed to assert their status within the colonial hierarchy.

Technique & Style

Taken by Raja Deen Dayal, an early Indian photographer, the picture employs the sharp tonal contrast of wet‑plate collodion processes common in the 1880s. The composition is straightforward, with the subject centered against a neutral background, emphasizing uniform details and insignia.

History & Provenance

266), likely assembled for a British civil servant who visited or served in India around 1888 as a personal record of his experience.

The photograph belongs to a larger album of roughly 105 images captured between 1885 and the summer of 1887, documenting the daily lives of the British colonial elite and upper‑class Indians. The museum also holds 37 other prints from this collection (catalogued as 2016.266), likely assembled for a British civil servant who visited or served in India around 1888 as a personal record of his experience.

Context

Produced during the height of the British Raj, the album functioned as a visual travelogue, offering a private glimpse into the social milieu of colonial administrators and Indian aristocracy. Such albums were common among officials seeking to memorialize their tenure abroad.