Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Portrait of two boys

ca. 1900
Not on view
This portrait painting of two young Hindu boys has every appearance of being a painting from life, and yet the source of its startling realism may lie in its being directly modelled on a studio photograph. The boys, we may assume brothers, are awkwardly posed on slated wooden chairs placed upon a rug with bold floral designs. Both wear ill-fitting European-style jackets, the younger matched with trousers and a pill-box cap, the older wearing a white dhoti and a full-bodied turban. Both wear jewelry and hold posies, the younger boy has a walking stick and wears shoes, the older has a crumpled white shawl with black floral design and wears Indian slippers. Behind is the colonnaded setting associated with palatial homes of only the most successful merchants and land-owning families. The setting may also be a studio prop.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of two boys
  • Artist: Ekling Ganesha of Nathdwara (Indian)
  • Date: ca. 1900
  • Culture: India, Rajasthan, Nathdwara
  • Medium: Gouache with gold on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 29 1/8 × 23 1/8 in. (74 × 58.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Richard Greenbaum Fund and funds from various donors, 2026
  • Object Number: 2026.546
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.