Unknown Maker, Indian

Equestrian Portrait of a Raja

Maker

Unknown Maker, Indian

Culture

Indian

Title

Equestrian Portrait of a Raja

Year

late 1700s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

ink, watercolor

Supports

Geography

Place Made: Marwar; Origin: India

Dimensions

24.1 x 17 cm (9 1/2 x 6 11/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscribed with poems written in Hindi and Urdu.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Catherine and Ralph Benkaim

Object Number

1986.151.3

Type

Exhibition History

It Comes in Many Forms
Islamic Art from the Collection
Oct 23, 2020 – Dec 18, 2021

Label copy

This depiction of a man who was probably a Muslim nobleman was painted in Marwar, a region in northwestern India not far from what is now the border with Pakistan. A poem or folk song surrounds the horse and rider, almost mirroring their movement. Deccani Urdu is written above the figures and Hindi below, and although these languages look different, they sound identical when spoken. This bilingual, cross-cultural embrace in a painting more than 200 years old is particularly striking now, given India’s violent partition in 1947 and more recent laws to strip Muslims of their right to Indian citizenship, including 2019’s Citizenship Amendment Act.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Indian
Equestrian Portrait of a Raja, late 1700s
Ink and watercolor on paper
24.1 x 17 cm (9 1/2 x 6 11/16 inches)
Gift of Catherine and Ralph Benkaim 1986.151.3

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