MANDI, NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1780-90

Raja Sidh Sen of Mandi (r. 1684-1727) was a great patron of the arts and sponsored an active artistic life which led to the production of numerous paintings. These works are characterized by a ‘heavily stippled and [..] easily recognizable style’ (Roda Ahluwalia, Rajput Painting, Romantic, Divine and Courtly Art from India, London, 2008, pp.123-125). This style continues during the reign of his grandson Shamsher Sen (r. 1727-81), although as Ahluwalia notes his ‘personality was the opposite of that of his legendary grandfather’ which had an effect on paintings as Mandi artists ‘were adept at representing the characteristics and personalities of their rulers’ (Ahluwahlia, op.cit., p.125). The use of blocks of colour with little shading, in large plain background or on clothes, the stylized striped carpets and peculiar facial features such as elongated or flattened noses, bulging eyes, are characteristics of Mandi paintings throughout the 18th century (See Karl Khandalavala, Pahari Miniature Paintings in the N.C. Mehta Collection, Ahmedabad, fig.45 to fig.62).

On this painting, the prince wears a yellow turban wrapped around a tall ribbed hat. This style of turban appears to be popular in the later part of the 18th century. It is worn by Raja Surman Sen of Mandi on a portrait dated circa 1781-82 in the N.C. Mehta Collection (Khandalavala, op.cit., fig.61) who probably is the main figure in this portrait. Raja Surma Sen (r. 1781-88) was the son of Shamser Sen and reigned between 1781 and 1788. Another portrait of Surma Sen, worshipping Kali, is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.79.66)