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Lot Essay
This present portrait probably depicts Raja Dhian Singh Dogra (1796-1843), a close confidante of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and one of the most influential figures of the Sikh Empire during its peak. Dhian Singh was the second son of Miari Kishora Singh Dogra of Jammu and was entered into service of Ranjit Singh as a soldier in 1812 by his elder brother Gulab Singh. He quickly found favour and was appointed chamberlain of the royal household in 1818 when he was just twenty-two years old, later becoming principal minister to the Maharaja. Following the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, Dhian Singh became embroiled in the court intrigues that mired the accession of a successor. He supported the claim of Sher Singh to the throne for which Dhian Singh was assassinated, like Sher Singh, in 1843.
When this portrait was originally catalogued in 1981 it was identified as Ranbir Singh (1830-1885). Although there is certainly a strong similarity to other known portraits of Ranbir Singh, our portrait is stylistically more consistent with a dating of circa 1820, which predates Ranbir Singh by a decade. An 1820s dating would place Raja Dhian Singh in his mid-twenties which seems an appropriate age for our subject and at which point Dhian Singh was of sufficient influence and standing to merit an accomplished portrait.
Although we have no other portraits of Dhian Singh without a beard with which to compare, his overall face shape and the profile of the nose and mouth here is consistent with other portraits of Dhian Singh. A portrait in the British Museum attributed to Kangra, circa 1840 (1922,1214,0.1) shows a bearded but comparable portrait of Dhian Singh allowing for a roughly twenty year age gap. A similar argument can be made for another portrait of Dhian Singh sat next to Ranjit Singh and dated circa 1830-40 which was sold as part of the Karl and Elizabeth Katz Collection, Christie's New York, 12 December 2017, lot 55. In that painting he is wearing a shorter style turban exposing his ears and hair which helps compare to the our portrait along with a further painting of Dhian Singh also wearing a shorter style turban and dated to circa 1830 which was sold in Sotheby's, London, 30 October 2022, lot 66.
When this portrait was originally catalogued in 1981 it was identified as Ranbir Singh (1830-1885). Although there is certainly a strong similarity to other known portraits of Ranbir Singh, our portrait is stylistically more consistent with a dating of circa 1820, which predates Ranbir Singh by a decade. An 1820s dating would place Raja Dhian Singh in his mid-twenties which seems an appropriate age for our subject and at which point Dhian Singh was of sufficient influence and standing to merit an accomplished portrait.
Although we have no other portraits of Dhian Singh without a beard with which to compare, his overall face shape and the profile of the nose and mouth here is consistent with other portraits of Dhian Singh. A portrait in the British Museum attributed to Kangra, circa 1840 (1922,1214,0.1) shows a bearded but comparable portrait of Dhian Singh allowing for a roughly twenty year age gap. A similar argument can be made for another portrait of Dhian Singh sat next to Ranjit Singh and dated circa 1830-40 which was sold as part of the Karl and Elizabeth Katz Collection, Christie's New York, 12 December 2017, lot 55. In that painting he is wearing a shorter style turban exposing his ears and hair which helps compare to the our portrait along with a further painting of Dhian Singh also wearing a shorter style turban and dated to circa 1830 which was sold in Sotheby's, London, 30 October 2022, lot 66.