Rawat Gokul Das at the Singh Sagar
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | The painting is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, commonly known as the Met. |
| Location History: | Created In Devgarh(Mewar), Rajasthan, India in July 1806. Currently at Metropolitan Museum of art Newyork |
In July 1806, Rawat Gokul Das, who ruled from 1786 to 1821, is shown on a hunting expedition with members of his court at the secluded Singh Sagar Lake Palace, a private retreat that seems designed for leisure, privacy, and sport rather than public display. The composition is remarkable because it does not simply present the ruler once in a ceremonial pose; instead, he appears four separate times across the scene, creating a sense of movement and activity as the hunting episode unfolds. In the foreground, he is seen firing his musket at waterfowl in flight, an action that gives the image a vivid, immediate energy and draws the viewer directly into the moment. According to the inscription, he is accompanied by his uncle Gyan Singh and the courtier Amarji, which helps anchor the image in a specific historical and familial setting. The landscape itself is just as important as the figures. Although the silvered lake has now darkened to a gray tone with age, it likely once reflected light beautifully, giving the water a shimmering quality that would have intensified the scene’s elegance. Around the lake, large rocky formations shape the lower portion of the composition, while the surrounding woodland is filled with carefully observed life: birds, monkeys, crocodiles, and tortoises appear throughout the environment, each rendered with attention to detail. This abundance of natural forms makes the painting feel alive and richly inhabited. The aerial viewpoint is especially unusual and suggests that the artist was influenced by European cartographic and topographic images that had begun to circulate in India at the time. Bakhta, the painter, demonstrates a highly inventive approach to Rajasthani art, combining energetic landscape treatment with narrative complexity and close observation of court life. His view of Singh Sagar captures not only the hunting activity of the Rawat and his entourage, but also the atmosphere of the place itself, including the ladies, attendants, and the many animals that share the lake’s surroundings. The result is a work that is both historical record and visual spectacle, offering a sophisticated portrait of royal leisure, artistic innovation, and the natural world in a single composition.