Lot 82
A GROUP OF SIX RAJPUT EQUESTRIAN PORTRAITS
INDIA, RAJASTHAN, JODHPUR, 19TH CENTURY
Estimate: £8,000 - £12,000
Auction: 11 December 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
gouache on paper heightened in gold, each depicting a ruler on horseback, some with inscriptions in nagiri, mounted, glazed and framed to match, as follows:
Raja Sultan Singhji (b.1848-1890), the son of Maharaja Takht Singh of Jodhpur (r.1843-1873), riding a grey dappled horse accompanied by four retainers on foot, red border, circa 1840
Maharana Pratap Singhji of Mewar (r.1572-1597) riding a fully armoured or barding stallion to the left, second half of 19th century
Raja Zalim Singhji, the son of Maharaja Takht Singh of Jodhpur (r. 1843-1873) riding a stallion to the left, accompanied by three retainers on foot, nagari inscription at bottom, circa 1840
Maharaja Bhim Singh (r.1794-1804) riding a brown stallion to the right, a retainer running alongside, circa 1840
Maharana Sardar Singh of Udaipur (r.1838-1842) riding a stallion to the left, three retainers running alongside, one bearing a fan, another a morchal, circa 1840
Maharana Jawan Singhji of Udaipur (r.1828-1838), a Sisodia ruler of the Kingdom of Udaipur, riding a stallion to the left, three retainers walking on foot alongside, nagari inscription at bottom, mid-19th century
Dimensions
Sight size, largest: 33cm x 20cm
Provenance
Formerly, The Estate of Daniel and Natalie Schwartz.
Daniel Schwartz led a rich and colourful life. Having fought and survived in the D-Day invasions of Normandy he successfully turned his hand to business, film production and art collecting. Neighbours to the Hollywood elite, Daniel and his wife Nathalie were close friends with Frank and Barbara Sinatra regularly dining out and golfing together. Nathalie and Barabara often championed the same charities, making a real difference to impoverished Jewish communities.
Daniel's real passion, however, was for racehorses, regularly collaborating with successful businesspeople to purchase the very best. Seattle Dancer was perhaps his most famous horse bought for a staggering $13.1m in 1985. Daniel’s love for horses was also very much evident in his art collection.
Footnote
Equestrian portraits in Indian miniature paintings were always popular subjects for Indian artists working at the royal courts in India over the centuries. The rulers of the capital Jodhpur and surrounding thikanas in Marwar, an area in western Rajasthan bordering the Thar desert, eagerly commissioned local artists to depict processions and hunting scenes reflecting their powerful positions at court and the importance of their steeds. The artists were also given commissions from the nearby kingdom of Udaipur. For further discussion on Marwar painting and comparisons with equestrian portraits see: R. Crill, Marwar Painting: A History of the Marwar Style, Mumbai, 1999, figs. 93, 95,104,105 and 106.
