Artwork
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This painting depicts Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh ruler of the Panjab region, riding a white horse through a flower-filled landscape. The artwork showcases the maharaja in a ceremonial setting, surrounded by attendants and symbols of royalty.
Subject & Meaning
The maharaja is shown wearing saffron-colored attire and adorned with pearls and a bazuband, an upper-arm ornament. His horse is decorated with gold chains and jewels, and he is shaded by a parasol, an ancient emblem of kingship, signifying his royal status.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a vivid color palette and attention to detail, particularly in the rendering of the maharaja's attire and the horse's decorations. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark, adds depth to the scene.
History & Provenance
The painting was gifted to the V&A in 1955 by Mrs L.M. Rivett-Carnac on behalf of the Van Cortlandt family. According to family tradition, it was one of a pair of portraits commissioned by Ranjit Singh from his court artist and presented to Colonel Henry Charles Van Cortlandt, Mrs Rivett-Carnac's grandfather.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
