Maharaja Raj Singh in a Garden Arcade
This highly personal portrait of Raj Singh of Sawar (r. 1705–30) shows him in full profile, as if he is presenting himself at a palace balcony window (jharoka) for a public audience. Here, however, the arched terrace at which he sits resplendently is set in a private garden overlooking a grassy landscape populated only by waterfowl. In this private inner world, Raj Singh holds a flower bud in his raised hand, an allusion to his aesthetic accomplishments. He is attended by two women, one holding a tray with slender glass bottles of rosewater and the other waving a fan of peacock feathers. The arcade is painted with floral designs in the style of Mughal pietra dura (hardstone inlay), and a Mughal-style carpet is draped over the terrace balustrade, adding a richness to the portrait.
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