Ramkishore Singh, Rewa (recto, top)
1884
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1884
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A man in a turban sits on a carved wooden chair, holding a sword across his lap. Behind him, a servant fans him with a large leaf. This is a photograph from British colonial India, not a painting. The man is Ramkishore Singh, a local ruler. The image was likely taken to show British visitors the "exotic" side of India—wealthy Indians in traditional dress. But it also quietly shows Singh’s authority, even under colonial rule. To see more colonial-era Indian portraits, look up Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905).
