Maharana Ari Singh II at a moonlight gathering
Maharana Ari Singh, splendidly dressed in saffron robes and with a gold nimbus, is seen twice on the rooftop terrace of the palace at Udaipur, attending celebrations at night on the second day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakh, and entertained by dancers, musicians, and fireworks.
The courtiers accompanying the Maharana are also dressed in saffron robes tied with gold sashes (patkas), as was the custom at the festival of Aksay Tritiya, “The Imperishable Third”, held on the following day.
Ari Singh (r. 1761-1773) is depicted proceeding with his courtiers from the rooftop terrace on the left towards a courtyard on the right, where they sit and watch two dancing girls in crimson dresses with swirling skirts accompanied by musicians. In the first instance Ari Singh is seen holding a ceremonial sword in a red velvet scabbard, while at the nautch (dance) party he enjoys the proceedings while smoking from a gold hookah held by a standing attendant to the right. As was the custom, in both appearances in the continuous narrative, Ari Singh is depicted in haughty and impassive side profile. Candles add to the illumination of the silvery moon in the sky amongst the stars.
In the courtyard below to the centre of the palace, the presence of a pandal, used in the marriage ceremony and consisting of a canopy on poles with a diminishing stack of clay pots at each corner, suggests that a wedding is to be celebrated. Further below is a tank with silver water, and in the outer courtyard of the palace to the right a firework display is in progress, accompanied by further musicians. The varied fireworks include spinning wheels and flying rockets and the attendant setting off the display runs between each assemblage through the haze of smoke.
The elegant composition of the painting is beautifully constructed, with the palace opening up like a box to reveal its many treasures. The bold red border, typical of Mewar paintings from Udaipur, forms a wonderful contrast with the white palace bathed in moonlight.
- Provenance
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From 1960s
British Rail Pension Fund, England, from the 1960s [1]To 2000
Spink & Son Ltd., London, to 2000From 2000
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Spink & Son Ltd. in 2000Notes:
[1] The object was brought from India to England in the 1960s, when it entered the collection of the British Rail Pension Fund (according to Curatorial Note 3, Debra Diamond, September 28, 2000, in the object record).
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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Spink & Son Ltd.
- Description
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Maharana Ari Singh, splendidly dressed in saffron robes and with a gold nimbus, is seen twice on the rooftop terrace of the palace at Udaipur, attending celebrations at night on the second day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakh, and entertained by dancers, musicians, and fireworks.
The courtiers accompanying the Maharana are also dressed in saffron robes tied with gold sashes (patkas), as was the custom at the festival of Aksay Tritiya, "The Imperishable Third", held on the following day.
Ari Singh (r. 1761-1773) is depicted proceeding with his courtiers from the rooftop terrace on the left towards a courtyard on the right, where they sit and watch two dancing girls in crimson dresses with swirling skirts accompanied by musicians. In the first instance Ari Singh is seen holding a ceremonial sword in a red velvet scabbard, while at the nautch (dance) party he enjoys the proceedings while smoking from a gold hookah held by a standing attendant to the right. As was the custom, in both appearances in the continuous narrative, Ari Singh is depicted in haughty and impassive side profile. Candles add to the illumination of the silvery moon in the sky amongst the stars.
In the courtyard below to the centre of the palace, the presence of a pandal, used in the marriage ceremony and consisting of a canopy on poles with a diminishing stack of clay pots at each corner, suggests that a wedding is to be celebrated. Further below is a tank with silver water, and in the outer courtyard of the palace to the right a firework display is in progress, accompanied by further musicians. The varied fireworks include spinning wheels and flying rockets and the attendant setting off the display runs between each assemblage through the haze of smoke.
The elegant composition of the painting is beautifully constructed, with the palace opening up like a box to reveal its many treasures. The bold red border, typical of Mewar paintings from Udaipur, forms a wonderful contrast with the white palace bathed in moonlight.
- Inscription(s)
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5[?] naṁ. kī. 30 3/19
number [in red ink] 3/19 price 30 rupees
|| śri rāmjī 1
|| pāno śrī māhārājādhīrāj māhārāṇājī śrī ar sīhajī rī surat
[?] ghoḍe tīlak sudar asvār huā thakā] śrī jī sahelyā rī bāḍī
vesāk sudī 2
re dīn paraṇ jaṇī dīn rāte bhagtaṇ ro nac karāo jaṇī rī sabī
ro pāno cītāre bhīme kesurām śrī hajur nījar kīdo
pāno orī jamā saṁvat 1821 rā māgh vīd 2 bhome jamā
Shri Ramji 1. Painting of the likeness of Shri
Maharajadhiraj Maharanaji Shri Ari Singhji. Shriji;Saheliyon ri Bari, on the second day of the light half of
Vaisakh. On the day [before] the wedding [in the] night
the dance of the bhagtan [female performers] was
arranged. Artist Bhima, Kesu Ram presented the painting
of the depiction of that [event] as nazar to his Esteemed
Highness. Placed in the storeroom in Samvat 1821, on the
second day of the dark half of Magha [January–February].
- Published References
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- Rosa Maria Cimino. Life at Court in Rajasthan: Indian Miniatures from the Seventeenth to the Nineteenth Century. Exh. cat. Florence. cat. 73, pp. 74, 112.
- Gopis, Goddesses & Demons: Indian & Islamic Works of Art. Exh. cat. London. cat. 78, pp. 78-79.
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur. Exh. cat. Munich, 2022. cat. 9, pp. 96, 322.
- Collection Area(s)
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-F2000.17_003