A Prince Hunting Boars with His Retinue

The distinctive style of painting that emerged in the late eighteenth century at Jhilai, a less well-known Rajput court, probably represents the work of a single master and his atelier. Closely related to Jaipur painting, the Jhilai style is distinguished by a more mannered treatment (note the formulaic depiction of the galloping horses), subdued palette, and descriptive clarity. Here we see the prince lunging from the saddle and striking a boar with his long-bladed sword as the animal attempts to flee across a silver stream. Clad in a white jama (tunic) and followed close behind by courtiers, the prince is boldly silhouetted against his beige horse. His palace, at upper right, is surrounded by a moat and a walled city; beyond is a lake with pleasure boats and water fowl.