INDIA, RAJASTHAN, JODHPUR, LATE 18TH-EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Climbing into a swing hung off of a thick fig tree branch, the young Maharaja is met by four young maidens carrying wine, flowers, and fruit, while his courtiers trail behind him carrying fantastic floral sprays, for what will undoubtedly become an entertaining summer day. One figure, on the far left margins of the painting, carries a takha board, possibly identifying the figure as the court artist. The figures are all rendered in a distinctly Jodhpuri style, most notable in the lifted hems of the garments, implying a bustling sense of movement throughout the scene.
Originally from Amadnager, Maharaja Takht Singh (r.1843-73) came into power in Jodhpur after the death of Man Singh (r. 1804-1843) who left no heirs. Reports at the time describe Takht Singh as a poor administrator, some visitors noting that Marwar had nearly no government during his reign. The many paintings of Takht Singh depict the ruler as a man of great pleasure-seeking mentality. Works preserved in the Mehrangarh Museum Trust include scenes of the Maharaja enjoying large feasts with the women of his court, riding on a man-powered Ferris wheel and other rendezvous and celebrations in the palace gardens (see R. Crill, Marwar Painting: A History of the Jodhpur Style, Bombay, 2000, figs. 139-145). Another painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (acc. no. M.81.280.6) depicts the Maharaja celebrating the swing festival with a lover and other female musicians and attendants.