Rawat Gokul Das II Hunting Tigers
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.A tour de force of landscape imagery—fanciful and whimsical as well as compelling—this remarkable painting shows the ruler of Devgarh, Rawat Gokul Das II (r. 1786–1821). He holds a bow and arrow and is poised as if seated for a studio portrait, detached from the sumptuous landscape that surrounds him. His weapons are an affectation; by this time wild animals were hunted with matchlock guns, like that depicted at his feet, which closely resemble the examples exhibited nearby. The painting has been attributed to Bagta, an Udaipur-trained artist who followed patronage to Devgarh, where he settled and enjoyed the support of Rawat Gokul Das II. Bagta’s style was continued at the Devgarh court by his son Chokha, a noted artist in his own right.
Artwork Details
- Title: Rawat Gokul Das II Hunting Tigers
- Artist: Attributed to Bagta (active ca. 1761–1814)
- Date: ca. 1800
- Culture: Western India, Rajasthan, Devgarh
- Medium: Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 20 7/8 × 16 9/16 in. (53 × 42 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by Collection of Navin Kumar, New York
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art