Maharaja on Horseback with Attendant (Equestrian Portrait of Maharaja Pratap Singh)

Print

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Maharaja on Horseback with Attendant (Equestrian Portrait of Maharaja Pratap Singh)

Entry/Object ID

1998.09.39

Description

A regal depiction of a Maharaja on horseback, accompanied by an attendant holding what may be a fly whisk. The Maharaja is dressed in ornate attire with intricate gold embellishments, and the horse is equally adorned with a richly detailed saddle and decorative elements.

Artwork Details

Medium

Paper, Gold, Gouache

Subject Person or Organization

Maharaja Pratap Singh

Subject Place

Country

India

Acquisition

Accession

1998.09

Source or Donor

Derek Davenport

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Derek Davenport

Made/Created

Place

Country

India

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Label

Location

On the Reverse

Transcription

Unknown Rider and Servant Gouache Gift of Derek Davenport 1998.09.39

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Print

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Graphic Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Dimension Description

16 x 20

Provenance

Notes

Derek Davenport (1927-2017), West Lafayette, Indiana; donated to the Purdue University Galleries in 1998

Exhibitions

Paintings from India: Historical and Modern (2019)
Mughal Miniatures (2025)
Selections From The Permanent Collection (2010)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Exhibition label

Label

(From Paintings from India: Historical and Modern Reuff West Feb 11-22, 2019): The portrait depicts a well-documented individual among the Rajput rulers, who lived after the decline of the Mughal Empire and, through his patronage, carried on its tradition of courtly art. Maharaja Pratap Singh had his capital in Jaipur, a major city in northern India, in the region of Delhi, where the Mughal emperors were based. Equestrian images were popular for several cen-turies, in this case showing the ruler moving leftward in an open landscape. He holds the horse's reins with one hand while patting the animal's neck with his other hand. The prince's long white robe is worn over patterned trousers, and he carries a gold-handled sword and a shield hanging behind his back. He wears a richly ornamented turban, and a servant walking alongside fans him with a fluffy fan. The horse's trappings are elegant, and besides gold chains, they include a tied sash and a small black brush on top of its head. The painting may be a copy of an original work.