A royal stallion and its groom

Kishangarh means “fort of Krishna.” This school lasted from 1720-1850 and centres round the artist Nahil Chand, who worked for Raja Savant Singh (1748-64). Nahil Chand developed a beautiful style of painting for stories about the lovers Krishna and Radha who are usually seen as small figures in a geometric lattice-work building which gives an air of mystery and privacy. The pictures show an idealised court life, mannered and rather stiff. From 1757-70 some paintings were very large, especially those worked on cloth.

This follows the pattern for equestrian paintings set out by the Mughals in the 17th century. It shows the mannered elegance of Kishangarh style. The stallion is attractively drawn; perhaps the fact that it is not anatomically correct, adds to its charm. Its belly and legs have been dyed red with henna to indicate that it has been in battle. The embroidered saddle cloth is very decorative and the head plume adds to the stallion’s finery. The elderly groom is holding an incense burner under the stallion’s nostrils.

Description taken from the ‘Art From The Indian Sub-Continent In The Sainsbury Centre’ catalogue by Margaret A. Willey (Sainsbury Centre, UEA, 1995).