Artwork
Raja Chattar Singh smoking
Raja Chattar Singh smoking is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting depicts Raja Chattar Singh engaged in smoking.
About this work
History & Provenance
It was first publicly exhibited in 2018 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of an installation that included works from the Chamba State region.
The work titled Raja Chattar Singh smoking is a painting dated to 1690, produced in the Chamba State region by an unknown artist, as recorded in its entry within the Cleveland Museum of Art collection under accession number 2018.109. The painting entered the museum’s holdings and has remained in its care since acquisition; no documentation of a specific commission survives, and it is classified simply as a late seventeenth-century painting. Its provenance therefore traces from its place of creation in Chamba State to its current ownership by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
It was first publicly exhibited in 2018 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of an installation that included works from the Chamba State region.
Overview
This painting depicts Raja Chattar Singh engaged in smoking. The artwork presents a seated figure in traditional attire, surrounded by elements that suggest his status and activity. The visual characteristics indicate a work that, while retaining some vibrancy, also shows signs of age and wear.
It serves as a portrait capturing a specific moment of leisure, offering insight into the customs of the period.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, identified as Raja Chattar Singh, is shown in a relaxed posture, seated on a green carpet. He holds a curved pipe, indicating his engagement with smoking, a common practice among royalty and nobility in historical South Asia. A hookah and other objects on a small table behind him further elaborate on this theme, portraying a scene of personal indulgence or contemplation within a domestic setting.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a palette of bright colors, though their intensity has diminished over time, contributing to a muted overall appearance. The artist rendered the Raja in a yellow robe adorned with red floral patterns, contrasted by a dark hat. The composition includes a detailed depiction of the figure and his immediate surroundings, with an old script inscription at the top likely identifying the subject or scene. The physical condition suggests an aged artwork.
Artist & collection
Untitled
Raja Viram Dev
Emperor Rafi ud-Darajat
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The origin of music from a fabulous bird of India which had seven holes in its beak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fourteenth Night
Mian Mukund Dev
The origin of music from a fabulous bird of India which had seven holes in its beak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fourteenth Night
Raja Anand Dev
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