


Tara (Indian, active 1836–68)
India (Rajasthan, Mewar)
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Image: 16 3/4 x 22 3/4 in. (42.5 x 57.8 cm); page: 19 1/8 x 25 in. (48.6 x 63.5 cm)
Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky Fund, 2001 (2001.344)
This splendid painting by Tara, the premier painter in the atelier of Maharana Sarup Singh (r. 184261), shows the ruler viewing one of his royal stallions, named Margchono. The pink garments worn by the guests are unusual and are probably indicative of a particular festival. The compressed space, profile figures, and limited palette are hallmarks of Rajput style. However, the more naturalistic treatment of details, as well as the historical subject, are remnants of Mughal tradition. This is the first mid-nineteenth-century painting from Mewar to enter the Museum's collections.







