The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Raja Shamsher Sen with a Youth

Raja Shamsher Sen with a Youth

1760–70
Image: 16.5 x 13.9 cm (6 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.); Border: 20.3 x 17.6 cm (8 x 6 15/16 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

In 1727 Shamsher Sen inherited the kingdom of Mandi in the western Himalayan foothills. Although he reigned for more than five decades, he was known for his weak character and strange behavior. The artist has rendered him with an intensely staring gaze directed at a young man, possibly his lover, who greets him in an attitude of respect. The king has smeared his forehead with ashes and has the triple lines on his throat that mark him as a devotee of the Hindu god Shiva. The inscription in the bottom margin and another on the verso identify him by name.
  • George P. Bickford [1901-1991], Cleveland, OH, to Dr. Norman Zaworski
    ?-2012
    Dr. Norman Zaworski [1920-2013], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2012-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Indian Gallery 242 Rotation – April-November 2018. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 2-November 18, 2018).
  • {{cite web|title=Raja Shamsher Sen with a Youth|url=false|author=|year=1760–70|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2012.302