18C Indian Miniature Portrait of Maharana Madho Singh I of Jaipur

Published by Nevan O Shaughnessy on March 2, 2023March 2, 2023

PRESENTING a VERY RARE 18C Indian Miniature Portrait of Maharana Madho Singh I of Jaipur.

Hand-painted on paper … Gouache.

The paper shows all the authentic signs of age (see pics).

Indian, Jaipur circa 1750-70.

It features a portrait of Maharana Madho Singh I of Jaipur.

We know it is Maharana Madho Singh I, due to a comparison of facial features and his rather ‘rotund’ shape. Also the shield design is classically that of Jaipur.

The ‘Maharana’ is in a standing pose, in a green meadow/pasture with trees in the distance with a sunset sky. He has what looks like a gold ‘halo’ behind his head.

He is extravagantly dressed in white robes, a pair of ceremonial swords, gold inlaid circular shield, sash and bejeweled headdress.

The painting has gold leaf highlights for the his jewelry, swords, shield and sash banding and halo.

It is framed and under glass in a vintage silver frame and has an olive green matting. It was re-framed in Dallas in the late 20C by ‘Rust Picture Framing’ who operated in the late 1970’s at 3320 Kings Rd.

Madho Singh I (December 1728 – March 5, 1768) was ruler of the state of Jaipur in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He was the younger son of Jai Singh II and became ruler of Jaipur after his brother Ishwari Singh‘s death.

Madho Singh I was at Udaipur when his half brother Ishwari Singh committed suicide. Following this Madho Singh was crowned as the king of Jaipur state.

Madho Singh invited Jayappa Scindia who arrived in due time along with Malharrao Holkar to dinner where the Maratha sardars were served poisoned food which they detected and evaded in time. Next day on 10 January 1751, about 5000 Marathas marched through Jaipur and started exploring the city’s temples and monuments. Marathas seemed to have behaved towards Jaipur like city taken by storms. Suddenly the pent-up hatred of the Rajputs burst forth and a riot broke out at noon and citizens attacked unsuspected Marathas. Madho Singh I posted assassins along the escape routes to kill off the Maratha envoys calling for aid.

He won several important battles against other kings. He later reconciled with the Marathas after rewarding Holkar for his help in gaining the Jaipur throne by giving him the parganas of Rampura and Bhanpura in 1753. According to Vir Vinod which is 19th-century creation, Madho Singh gave poison to Raja Bakht Singh of Marwar but according to contemporary Persian sources Bakht Singh died due to cholera.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madho_Singh_I

Gouache (/ɡuˈɑːʃ, ɡwɑːʃ/; French: [ɡwaʃ]), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque.