Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Horse with a One-Eyed Groom
c. 1840
Description
The painting depicts the horse of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (r. 1801-1839), the first maharaja of the Sikhs of the Punjab. The caparisoned horse is white, gray, and dappled. A groomsman stands in front of the horse, holding onto the blue reins with both hands. He wears a long, white tunic and an orange turban and waist sash. He has a small mustache and appears to be missing his left eye. Ranjit Singh himself was also blind in his left eye since childhood as a result of smallpox. This work was executed on paper made in England and bearing a watermark of 1839, the year of Ranjit Singh’s death.
Dimensions
18 x 22.6 cm (7 1/16 x 8 7/8 in.)
Provenance
Stuart Cary Welch (by 1983 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum. Notes: Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1983.
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