Portrait of Gadadhar Prasad
1881
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1881
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A man in a rich gold-and-maroon robe sits in a carved chair, pearls and emeralds around his neck. Green glass lamps hang behind him, and a patterned carpet covers the floor. This portrait mixes two worlds. Most Rajasthani paintings show people from the side, but here the man looks straight at you—like European portraits of the time. The jewels and lamps say he’s wealthy, but the style says he’s also open to new ideas. Look up the Rajput kingdom of Alwar to see more paintings like this.
