Artwork Page for Maharaja of Rewa in Prayer

Details / Information for Maharaja of Rewa in Prayer

Maharaja of Rewa in Prayer

1886

Raja Deen Dayal

(Indian, 1844–1905)
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Culture
India
Medium
albumen print
Measurements
Image: 20 x 27.2 cm (7 7/8 x 10 11/16 in.); Paper: 20 x 27.2 cm (7 7/8 x 10 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2016.266.21
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Performing religious devotions was part of a maharaja’s duty to protect his kingdom. Praying before an altar, the maharaja fingers prayer beads and sits opposite a mirror, an auspicious object in Hindu worship. The lines painted on the men’s foreheads indicatethat they are devotees of the Hindu god Vishnu. This group portrait demonstrates three ways rulers serve the state: by being a military commander, a worldly scholar, and, in this image, an observant Hindu.
A horizontal albumen print depicts eight people with medium-dark skin tones around a central altar. On our lower left, the young Maharaja of Rewa sits on a cushion with a man behind him. At right, two men sit on the floor, one playing a stringed instrument. Four men stand in the background, including one in a uniform and others holding ceremonial fans, behind a tiered altar featuring figurines and offerings on patterned textiles.

Maharaja of Rewa in Prayer

1886

Raja Deen Dayal

(Indian, 1844–1905)
India

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