Portrait of Ishwari Sen of Mandi
Painting
ca. 1825 (painted)
ca. 1825 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting is a three-quarter length portrait of Ishwari Sen (1784-1826), Raja of Mandi in the Panjab Hills. He holds a huqqa-stem, with a Kashmir shawl draped over his left arm. The painting was probably acquired by Lord Amherst during his visit to Delhi in 1827 and is misidentified on the front as being of the Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh; a Persian inscription on the back correctly identifies the sitter as Ishwari Sen. The painting was probably acquired by Lord Amherst during his visit to Delhi in 1827 and was later given to the museum by Lady Joan Amherst.
'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars.
'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of Ishwari Sen of Mandi (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Opaque water colour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Ishwari Sen of Mandi; holding a huqqa stem with a Kashmir shawl draped over his left arm, Delhi, ca.1820 |
| Physical description | This three-quarter length portrait of Ishwari Sen of Mandi shows him holding a huqqa stem with a Kashmir shawl draped over his left arm. It is wrongly inscribed 'Portrait of Runjeet Singh, Raja of Lahore'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Lady Joan Amherst |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting is a three-quarter length portrait of Ishwari Sen (1784-1826), Raja of Mandi in the Panjab Hills. He holds a huqqa-stem, with a Kashmir shawl draped over his left arm. The painting was probably acquired by Lord Amherst during his visit to Delhi in 1827 and is misidentified on the front as being of the Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh; a Persian inscription on the back correctly identifies the sitter as Ishwari Sen. The painting was probably acquired by Lord Amherst during his visit to Delhi in 1827 and was later given to the museum by Lady Joan Amherst. 'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars. |
| Bibliographic reference | Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period
Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Mapin Publishing, 1992 160 p. ISBN 0944142303, cat. 140, p. 160.
Ekaterina Schcherbina, ed., India: Jewels That Enchanted the World. Moscow Kremlin Museums, 2014, cat. 98, p. 178 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.62-1964 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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