The Priests Hari Nath and Hari Krishan in conversation

The two men shown here are priests (purohitas) and the fact that they are the focus of this painting attests to the diverse types of people seen in portraits from the hill kingdoms of northern India. The religious orientation of the priests is indicated by the vertical colored mark, associated with the Hindu god Vishnu, on each of their foreheads. Little else is known about these men, who are named in inscriptions on the reverse side of the painting.

The Indian kingdoms situated in what are now Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states tended to produce portraits of kings, princes and nobility, but those from the hill kingdoms depicted subjects of far more varied occupations and social classes. The hill kingdoms paintings tended to follow a standard format—as illustrated by this example—usually depicting the sitter in profile, either alone or attended by courtiers or other companions.