Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–8

Maharana Bhim Singh in Procession

Watercolor of man with golden halo on horse, green background.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • Watercolor of man with golden halo on horse, green background.

Date:

c. 1820

Artist:

India
Rajasthan, Mewar, Udaipur, attributed to Ghasi (active c. 1820-36)

About this artwork

In this dazzling royal procession, Maharana Bhim Singh (r. 1778-1828) rides across his kingdom, Mewar, on horseback. Richly bejeweled and tattooed, with his horse’s reins in one hand and a hookah mouthpiece in the other, Bhim Singh deftly projects an image of power combined with pleasure and comfort. The leashed cheetah and falcon seem to be merely part of the large entourage arrayed around the ruler, which also contains men bearing royal standards and insignia, including a black solar disk with a gold sun in the center, a symbol of the once-proud Sisodia clan of Mewar.

The magnificence of the scene belies the fact that Bhim Singh was actually a weak ruler in a succession of ineffectual leaders. Mewar had once been considered the strongest Rajput state because of its lengthy resistance to the Mughal emperors, but in 1818 Bhim Singh was forced to sign a treatey with the British, accepting their protection.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

Ghasi

Title

Maharana Bhim Singh in Procession

Place

India (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1815–1825

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions

Image: 57.1 × 41.6 cm (22 1/2 × 16 3/8 in.); Paper: 60.7 × 45.6 cm (23 7/8 × 18 in.)

Credit Line

Everett and Ann McNear Collection

Reference Number

1975.507

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/49195/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share