A soldier of the 2nd Madras Light Cavalry

Attributed to Yellapah of Vellore Indian

ca. 1835

Not on view

This formal portrait of a soldier of the East Indian Company cavalry regiments, known as a sowar (Urdu for “mounted soldier”), is remarkable for its directness and empathy. The sowar was the mounted equivalent of a sepoy “infantryman,” and is distinguished by the long sword he wears, appropriate for use on horseback. The painter Yellapah, active in the late 1820s and 1830s at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, was unquestionably one of the finest exponents of Indian paintings produced under British patronage. That much of his work survives in albums—as witnessed by the three known albums, now in the British Library, Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Vellore Album—suggests that his principal clients were East India Company personal.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: A soldier of the 2nd Madras Light Cavalry
Artist: Attributed to Yellapah of Vellore (Indian)
Date: ca. 1835
Culture: India, Tamil Nadu
Medium: Watercolor and gouache on paper
Dimensions: Image: 9 7/16 × 6 3/16 in. (23.9 × 15.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2026
Object Number: 2026.545
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Bracelet (Kada), One of a Pair, Gold and rubies — Bracelet (Kada), One of a Pair
19th century

Nocturne, John La Farge American, Watercolor, gouache, and charcoal on off-white wove paper
adhered to wove paper, American — Nocturne
John La Farge
ca. 1885

Tiger-Claw necklace, Gold, gold beads, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, spinels and tiger claws — Tiger-Claw necklace
ca. 19th century

Pool Parlor, Jacob Lawrence American, Watercolor and gouache on paper — Pool Parlor
Jacob Lawrence
1942

Sacrifical Axe (Matchu), Steel, Indian, Thanjavur — Sacrifical Axe (Matchu)
Indian, Thanjavur
17th–18th century

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.