Raja Dhian Singh
Painting
ca. 1840 (made)
ca. 1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This portrait depicts Raja Dhian Singh (1796-1843) on horseback. He is shown with traditional emblems of royalty, a parasol held over his head, and a turban jewel. Dhian Singh was a Hindu member of the court entourage of the first Sikh ruler of the Panjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (r.1801-1839), and was rewarded with the title of Raja in 1827, becoming the principal minister of the maharaja and the most powerful person in the kingdom after him. The painting was formerly in the collection of Queen Mary, and English inscriptions on paintings in the same group suggest that the first (unknown) British owner acquired the series between October 1839 and November 1840, presumably shortly after the paintings had been completed.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Raja Dhian Singh (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Raja Dhian Singh, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Punjab Plain, ca. 1840 |
| Physical description | Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, portrait of Raja Dhian Singh on horseback. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Content description | Portrait of Raja Dhian Singh on horseback. |
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Raja Dhian Singh the nominal minister and favourite of Ranjeet Singh' (Written on the flap in English in the same handwriting as that on IM.56-1936) |
| Credit line | Given by H. M. Queen Mary. |
| Object history | Formerly in the collection of Queen Mary. |
| Production | Sikh |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This portrait depicts Raja Dhian Singh (1796-1843) on horseback. He is shown with traditional emblems of royalty, a parasol held over his head, and a turban jewel. Dhian Singh was a Hindu member of the court entourage of the first Sikh ruler of the Panjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (r.1801-1839), and was rewarded with the title of Raja in 1827, becoming the principal minister of the maharaja and the most powerful person in the kingdom after him. The painting was formerly in the collection of Queen Mary, and English inscriptions on paintings in the same group suggest that the first (unknown) British owner acquired the series between October 1839 and November 1840, presumably shortly after the paintings had been completed. |
| Bibliographic reference | Paintings of the Sikhs / W.G. Archer. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1966
cat. 17, p. 141 and illus. fig. 33. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.59-1936 |
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| Record created | November 20, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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