Thakur Padam Singh
1721
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1721
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Thakur Padam Singh is a 1721 paint by Manna, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A man in a red turban sits in the middle of armed nobles, a musician, a servant with a peacock fan, and several dogs. The scene feels like a quick sketch—loose brushstrokes show the painter’s hand moving fast. This kind of royal portrait was rare in India at the time. The painter, Manna, left an inscription on the painting. It tells us Padam Singh liked art and hunting, and this scene shows that side of his life. The dogs and weapons hint at his power and daily habits. It looks a bit like European Baroque work. Check out Manna’s other paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting is an opaque watercolour and gold work on paper depicting Raja Padam Singh of Ghanerao seated in an informal gathering with nobles, attendants, a musician, a small serving girl, and three dogs. He is shown against a magenta and green bolster on a floral carpet, dressed in a transparent white jama, with a sword and katar before him, while nobles drink liquor and two hold firearms. The foreground is grey, the background muted green, and a band of blue sky with white clouds runs along the top. The inscription on the reverse attributes the work to Manno in 1721 at Ajmer, though the…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Manna painted portraits in the early 1700s, capturing royal figures like Thakur Padam Singh in precise detail.
See the richer artist page
