Maharaja Sirdar Singh on a Lakeside Terrace

The painting portrays Maharaja Sirdar Singh, the Maharaja of Kishangarh seated on a lakeside terrace dated around 1765.The painting is a fine example of Kishangarh School of Miniature painting based in Rajasthan that flourished in the 18th Century.Nihal Chand was an important pioneer of this school of painting who passed on the baton to his worthy successor Amar Chand, who is believed to be the painter of the above painting .He was also the leading court painter of Maharaja Sirdar Singh.Some important patrons of this school of paintings were Maharaja Sawant Singh(1699-1764) and his successor Maharaja Sirdar Singh (1757-1766). In this picture Maharaja Sirdar Singh is shown in royal attire wearing a turban with special ornament called sarpesh.He is also seen holding a flower(lotus) in his left hand, and is being accompanied by his royal attendant. Also an early medieval hookah(a piped device used for smoking tobacco) can be seen lying in the foreground beside his sword, thus indicating that he was enjoying his leisure time beside the scenic view of a picturesque lake. These features of drawing paintings with a panoramic background view often featuring lush green vegetations, lakes is a defining feature of this school of miniature painting. Amar Chand's paintings are also unique in their special facial features like arched eyebrows, almond shaped dramatic lotus like eyes. Amar Chand is also credited for his usage of soft, luminous pastel tones often mixing them flawlessly with natural tones. He was also a master of Ghuttai technique wherein, after completion of a painting, the surface is often polished to get a smooth, lustrous finish which adds a special luminosity to the painting. In this particular painting Amar Chand is found brilliantly using a mixture of Gouache paint and opaque pigments on paper to highlight the rich textures thus adding fine intricate details to the painting.