Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir with Sons and Courtiers
1874
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1874
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a tall photograph of a king in a white robe, his two sons beside him, and a row of courtiers standing behind. Everyone wears rich fabrics and jewels. The king sits on a carved chair under a striped canopy. This is one of the first times a Pahari ruler let British photographers take his picture. The studio, Bourne & Shepherd, set up in India and made portraits for local royalty. The son beside the king is blurred—maybe he moved during the long exposure. To see more royal portraits from the same time, look up northern India, Pahari kingdoms.
