Thakur Sirdar Singh worshiping Shiva as a four-faced linga, from a Sirdarvilas series
ArtistAttributed to
Shahji
(Indian)
Place of OriginRajasthan state, India, former kingdom of Mewar
Date1740
MaterialsOpaque watercolors on paper
DimensionsH. 14 1/2 in x W. 9 in, H. 36.7 cm x W. 23.5 cm
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. George Hopper Fitch
Object numberB84D2
DepartmentSouth Asian Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewSirdar Singh, the ruler of a small subsidiary state of the powerful kingdom of Mewar, is seen here performing a private religious ceremony. Little is known about Sirdar Singh but this painting tells a lot about him—or at least, how he wished to be seen. The marble lakeside palace furnished with large carpets speaks of his wealth and political position as a thakur (local ruler), and the blooming gardens (in the arid Rajasthani desert) suggest that he enjoyed beauty. Wealth and power notwithstanding, Sirdar Singh appears as a pious man, a devotee of Shiva who upholds tradition and teaches the same to his children. The architecture of Sirdar Singh’s palace and the way it is depicted here immediately recall Udaipur’s royal palaces and imperial painting styles, to visually and symbolically link the thakur with Mewar’s kings.
approx. 1600-1700
Muhammed Faqir-ullah Khan
approx. 1750-1760
approx. 1720
approx. 1720
