Gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2019.
"Prince Padam Singh of Bikaner with His Bard Gordhar on a Terrace at Night" is a painting from 1725 by Bhavanidas or his son Dalchand. This painting comes from the Kishangarh School which was just starting out around . It shows Prince Padam Singh and his bard, Gordhar in a garden that is lit up by the moon with shining pools of water and the buildings in the distant background. Gordhar is seen making music and possibly singing a song for the prince. The scene feels very quiet, serene and private without the grandeur and opulence common in a royal portrait from the Mughal empire. which also signifies Bhavanidas' migration from the Mughal darbar to Kishangarh.
This particular painting depicts the transition of the style of painting from the Late Mughal style to the Kishangarh style. Bhavanidas was trained in this style which was known for being detailed and realistic. Here the focus is on the mood and the relationship between the prince and his bard. The painting also uses the night and the lighting to show how the people in the painting are feeling.
This painting also tells us that the Rajput nobles really loved poetry, music and literature. Gordhar is not just playing music, for Prince Padam Singh he is also helping the prince to be more sensitive and to appreciate the arts. The painting has a quality because of the silver and the colors that are used. The silver shines like the moon. Makes the scene feel magical. This painting brings together the style and the Rajput style and shows how Kishangarh developed its own unique style.
This painting could be a demonstration of political negotiation via subtext or rather, the kind of subtlety often found in upper-class dialects. The dish between them, if one assumes it to be full of rice, is being assaulted by a pair of common flies, settled in such a way as to parallel the prince and his bard: perhaps then this is a reflection of the two men, who are eating their own fill side-by-side to accomplish the same goal: satiated hunger and survival.
