Maharana Amar Singh Enjoying the Company of the Women of the Court
Amar Singh II of Mewar (r. 1698–1710) was renowned for his enjoyment of the company of women, as witnessed in this triple tableau of the maharaja being entertained by the zenana (harem) during a festival day. In the upper scene, he sits in a marbled colonnade and smokes a hookah while watching a dancer (nautch) perform. The central register reveals the maharaja, now bare chested, enjoying water sports with the women. The pool is stained red with saffron, creating a dramatic foil to the bathers. In the lower scene, Amar Singh and the party of women have adjourned to the Gulab Bari (Rosewater Garden), a private enclave where they collect rose petals on golden trays. The multitude of figures seems to dissolve into the densely flowered garden, as if subsumed by its sensory power.
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