Artwork

Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions

Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions, by Unknown, unspecified, 1788
Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions, by Unknown, unspecified, 1788

Umed Singh of Kota Hunting Lions is an unspecified painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1788 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting depicts a royal hunting party ambushing a family of lions in a dense jungle.

About this work

You see a royal hunting party sneaking through dense jungle, spears and bows ready, while two adult lions and their cubs turn in alarm at the sound of a horn.

You see a royal hunting party sneaking through dense jungle, spears and bows ready, while two adult lions and their cubs turn in alarm at the sound of a horn.

This painting was likely a practice sketch—Indian artists often made quick studies like this before creating a final, polished work. The camouflaged hunters and tense moment show how carefully the scene was planned.

To see more scenes like this, look up *india, rajasthan, kota, 18th century*.

Overview

This painting depicts a royal hunting party ambushing a family of lions in a dense jungle. The scene is tense, with the lions reacting to the sound of a horn and the hunters preparing to attack.

Subject & Meaning

The artwork shows a moment of high drama as huntsmen, led by a ruler, surround lions by a stream, their turbans camouflaged with leaves. The lions, including two cubs, are startled by the horn's sound.

Technique & Style

The painting appears to be a preparatory sketch, characterized by freer execution and visible erasures, indicated by whiter sections. This suggests the artist was working out compositional details before creating a final, polished work.

History & Provenance

The painting is associated with the Kota school of Rajasthan, India, and dates to the 18th century. It reflects the artistic practices of the region, where sketches like this were often made before final paintings.

Artist & collection

Artist

Unknown

entity whose identity is not known

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.