Maharana Ari Singh II of Mewar (r. 1761–73) with His Consort on a Terrace
1761
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1761
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Maharana Ari Singh II of Mewar (r. 1761–73) with His Consort on a Terrace is a 1761 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A ruler in a golden halo walks hand-in-hand with his partner on a white marble terrace. Below them, a hookah waits on a carpet, and a sword and shield lie ready to be set aside. The bedroom behind them tilts sharply, as if the room itself is alive with movement. This painting was made for the royal court of Mewar, a kingdom in what’s now Rajasthan. The artist didn’t sign it—these works were about the king’s power, not the painter’s fame. The tilted room isn’t a mistake; it’s a trick to show the couple’s private world spilling into view. Look up *rajput kingdom of mewar* to see more paintings like this.
The ruler with his golden nimbus strolls with his beloved hand-in-hand on a white marble terrace. Soon, the couple will have enjoyed the hookah on the carpet and the raja will have laid down his sword and shield and retired with his consort to the golden chamber and drawn the curtains for privacy. The chamber sits at a precarious tilt, suggesting vigorous love-play within.
The garden below is full of row upon row of red poppies, suggesting the intoxicating heat of summer and the pleasures of opium.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
