Maharaja Adhiraja Mahtab Chand Bahadur of Burdwan in Middle Age (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
During the 19th century, Indian artists working in Westernized modes of painting, collectively known as Company Style, were patronized by both the British and wealthy Indians eager to keep up with their overlords. This portrait on ivory shows Mahtab Chand of Burdwan, a large feudal estate in Bengal that allied itself closely with the British during the period of his reign (1832-79). The minor potentate poses in a wing of his palace surrounded by European goods: painted Italian floor tiles, a crystal wall sconce, and a British sporting picture. To one side of him, a door opens to reveal a balcony and a receding river view. To the other is a red drapery whose curious agitation resonates with his worn and impatient expression.
Friends of Indian Art in memory of Perkins Wilson
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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