Rawat Gokul Das and Kunvar Devi Singh hunting birds

Bagta was an Indian miniature painter of Rajput style, renowned for his work in Udaipur and later as a master in Deogarh sub-school in Rajasthan. He initially worked in the royal court of Udaipur, probably from around 1761–1768, during the reign of Maharana Ari Singh II. He received his training in the Udaipur painting atelier, where artists generally followed an established court style. Around 1769, Bagta moved to Deoghar which was a significant event in his career. At Udaipur, Bagta had been one artist among many working within a powerful court tradition. At Deogarh, he had a much smaller court and greater opportunity to respond directly to the tastes of his patrons. He worked with a diverse range of themes, producing court scenes, equestrian portraits, large-scale topographic views and hunting scenes. He gave unusual importance to nature, using elevated perspectives and intricate compositions to create lively, realistic, and visually rich paintings. The painting ‘Rawat Gokul Das and Kunvar Devi Singh hunting birds’ is part of the equestrian paintings of Bagta’s collection. The scene shows the young Gokul Das, Bagta’s greatest patron in the coming years, and Kunvar Devi Singh, perhaps returning from a successful hunt. The painting shows richly dressed horsemen accompanied by a standing figure, creating a lively scene of royal activity. The horses are placed at the centre, emphasizing movement and strength. The painting uses a bright and contrasting colour palette, particularly yellow, red, white, green, and blue. The extensive yellow background also creates a strong contrast with the figures and gives the composition a decorative quality. The painting shows Bagta’s incredible attention to detail and expertise in painting ornamentation as the horses are decorated with elaborate harnesses and the riders are endowed in richly ornamented garments, turbans and jewellery signifying their royal status. The painting therefore combines courtly splendour, portraiture, satire and documentary observation