Artwork
Council of Regency, Gwalior
Council of Regency, Gwalior 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.
About this work
Overview
This black-and-white photograph, taken in Gwalior, India, between 1885 and 1887, captures a formal gathering of men in a mix of Indian and British attire. It is part of a disassembled album of approximately 105 photographs documenting the lives of British colonial elites and Indian royalty.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a group of men, likely Indian royalty and British officials, seated around a long table, conveying a sense of collaboration or negotiation between the two groups during the British colonial era.
Technique & Style
The photograph is characterized by its formal composition and the juxtaposition of traditional Indian and British clothing, reflecting the cultural dynamics of the time.
History & Provenance
The photograph was probably commissioned by a British civil servant as a personal memento of their experiences in India around 1888, and is part of a larger collection that has been dispersed.
Artist & collection
Artist
Raja Lala Deen Dayal, famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) was an Indian photographer.
Maharaja of Rewa and Classmates
Col. F. G. Oldham (recto, top); Mr. Nowell, Shimla (recto, bottom)
Fancy Group, Indore I
Civil officers at Jhansi (recto); Mr. William's House, Jhansi (verso)
Middle Class Students and Staff, Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (verso)
Mowhri Rahman Alli Khan family, Rewa (recto, bottom)
Lord William Beresford's horses
Heavy Field Battery, Jhansi
