Maharaja Serfoji II accompanied by his Minister

The painting reflects the cultural patronage of the Thanjavur Maratha court in early 19th-century South India, where rulers like Serfoji II fostered artistic production blending European techniques with local traditions. Its depiction of a monarch with a minister highlights administrative structures within the royal household, situating it within the broader context of colonial-era court portraiture. Scholarship notes its stylistic links to Company School aesthetics while emphasizing the artist's anonymous status as indicative of workshop practices in colonial India.

The painting has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is part of the museum's collection and recognized for illustrating early 19th-century court portraiture in India. Its presence in a major institution has contributed to renewed scholarly interest in the artistic patronage of Serfoji II and the visual culture of the Maratha court.

The work portrays two seated figures in a formal interior, rendered in a muted palette with contrasting accents. The left figure dons a white robe, an orange‑patterned coat, and a matching hat, holding a cane, while the right figure wears a white shirt, green trousers, a white hat and a red sash, gesturing with his hands. Behind them a dark wall is draped with a blue curtain trimmed in gold tassels, and a small table bearing a clock appears to the right.

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting employs a restrained realism characteristic of early 19th‑century Indian court portraiture. Fine brushwork defines the textiles and accessories, while broader strokes suggest the draped curtain and wall. The subtle chiaroscuro models the figures against a dark background, creating a sense of depth without elaborate spatial illusion.