Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
Indian portraiture in the later nineteenth century assumed not only the external trappings of European painting but also the poise of studio photographs. This portrait of a Mysore raja is a splendid example of the genre. The sitter, probably Krishnaraja III (r. 1799–1868) of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore, is attended by a senior courtier. The artist captured the sitter’s lively intelligence as he gazes at the viewer, as if seated in a studio facing the camera lens. The maharaja wears a black tunic with a white lungi (skirt cloth) and sits on an ivory chair, emulating European models. The glazed floor tiles are likely of English manufacture, as is the double-glass wall lamp. Krishnaraja III retained his royal income under British rule and pursued an active life of intellectual pursuits, including mathematics, astrology, and inventing board games.
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