This painting dated to 1805 is attributed to Chokha. He followed his father (Bagta) as an artist and was patronised by the courts of Udaipur and Devgarh in Rajasthan. He is known as a prominent artist of the Mewar school of painting. This particular artwork was made by him during the visit of the then ruler of Mewar, Maharana Bhim Singh. Such paintings were originally meant to be viewed within the space of the court. They were displays of power, royalty and grandeur and reflected the image of an ideal king. A halo is shown around the ruler’s head symbolizing his divine status. Made with ink, watercolour, and gold, the details and vibrant hues of this painting are characteristic of the period. He is depicted embarking on a hunt upon a bedecked horse accompanied by an entourage of attendants. One carries a hookah, some carry fly whisk, one carries a fan, one has a falcon and so on. A hunting dog draped in a garment is also being led. Chokha was known to depict the dynamics and brilliance of courtly life and this painting is no exception. This painting is not only a historical record of the hunting practices prevalent in 19th century Rajasthan but also shows the grandeur of the Mewar court. The use of gold in the painting reflects the wealth and status of the ruler and the court. The white hues and the turbans, fans and clothes in bright orange stand out against the green and blue background. It should also be noted that all the people depicted are wearing similar clothes.
While this particular painting depicts Maharana Bhim Singh as a towering, divinely radiating monarch, history remembers his actual reign (1778–1828) as a period of profound weakness. Beset by Maratha raids, internal court factions, and near-bankruptcy, he was eventually forced to sign away Mewar’s sovereignty under a protection treaty with the British East India Company in 1818. The painting is a masterclass in propaganda, using art to fabricate a fantasy of supreme, stable control when the state was actually fracturing. Chokha, alongside his father Bagta, was instrumental in developing a highly specific stylistic evolution away from traditional, flat Mewar painting. Known as the Devgarh school (a feudal sub-state of Mewar), their family style introduced a preference for deep, smoky shading and stylized silhouettes. If you look closely at the underbellies of the horses and the faces of the retinue in this work, you can see these smooth, subtle tonal gradations, which added a unprecedented sense of physical volume to the figures. This specific layout, featuring Maharana Bhim Singh on a rearing horse perfectly hemmed in by an identical, compression-styled crowd of attendants, was an absolute hit in the Rajasthani art market. It was replicated multiple times by the court. Aside from this masterpiece at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, closely related versions or sister paintings of this exact composition exist in the Harvard Art Museums and the San Diego Museum of Art.
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By: Mim Afrin
The painting is a classic example of Mewar school miniature art from Rajasthan, India and is an artwork of the talented painter, Chokha. Maharana Bhim is depicted on the top of a gallant horse signifying his vigour and the golden halo around his head signifies his divine nature as a king. This royal portrayal of him is completed by the grand entourage that follows him for the hunt. People accompanying him ensure not only his safety during the hunt by marching before him following his order but also make arrangements for his refreshments. Some carry hookah, others take large fans with them for this purpose. The glorious figure of Maharana Bhim Singh portray the power and lifestyle of the Rajpur nobility.
