ASCRIBED TO DEVA, MEWAR, RAJASTHAN, CIRCA 1763-64

Details

MAHARANA ARI SINGH (R.1762-72) HUNTING BOAR
ASCRIBED TO DEVA, MEWAR, RAJASTHAN, CIRCA 1763-64
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the ruler haloed, on a richly bedecked black steed, aiming his bow at a wild boar, another fleeing, in black rules, with red borders, an inscription in black devanagari script above, mounted, framed and glazed, the reverse with 5 ll. of devanagari script in black ink identifying the ruler, the artist and the date of samvat 1820
16 ¼ x 10 1/8in. (41.2 x 25.6cm.)

Engraved

In the upper border: maharajadhiraj maharana ji shri 108 shri ar si ji ri surat ro pano ghode ranchod prasad asavar, 'Portrait of Maharana Ari Singh on horse Ranchod Prasad'

Verso: shri ram ji / pano shri maharajadhiraj maharana ji shri ar si / ha ji ri surat ghode ranchod prasad asavar surto / ri ... karta ... pano kalmi chitar deve shri hajur / najar ki di pano ori jama samvat 1820 ra magh sur sud 14, 'Portrait of Maharana Ari Singh and the portrait of his horse Ranchod Prasad ... by the artist Deva who makes an offering to the ruler. The painting submitted on the 14th day of the month of Magh, Samvat 1820.'

Lot Essay

This compelling image of Maharana Air Singh hunting is ascribed to the painter Deva. This artist is known to have painted a fine depiction of combat between two of Jagat Singh's royal elephants in 1746 (Sotheby's, London, 23 April 1996, lot 38). Deva is recorded as one of Ari Singh's artists, alongside Bagta, Jugarsi and Kesu Ram (Andrew Topsfield, Court Painting at Udaipur, Art under the patronage of the Maharanas of Mewar, Zurich, 2001, p.200). Other portraits of Ari Singh hunting sold at Christie's, London, 1 October 2012, lot 68 and 26 May 2016, lot 47.

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