Maharana Bhim Singh in Procession

A king rides on horseback in a crowded, glittering procession. He is Maharana Bhim Singh, who ruled Mewar, a kingdom in Rajasthan, India, from 1778 to 1828. The painting is about 22 inches tall and 16 inches wide. It is made in opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Opaque means the paint is thick enough to cover the paper, so the colors look solid and rich, and the gold adds shine. It was painted around 1820 in Udaipur and is attributed to an artist named Ghasi, meaning the museum believes he made it.

Start with the ruler himself. He is richly covered in jewelry, and he has tattoos. Look at his hands. In one he holds his horse's reins. In the other he holds the mouthpiece of a hookah, a water pipe for smoking. Next, find the leashed cheetah and the falcon among the attendants around him. They seem to be just part of the crowd. Last, look for the men carrying royal standards, which are banners and emblems. One is a black disk with a gold sun in its center.

The gold sun on the black disk is a symbol of the Sisodia clan of Mewar, once a proud family of rulers. Mewar had been considered the strongest Rajput state because it resisted the Mughal emperors for so long. But the splendor here hides a different story. Bhim Singh was a weak ruler, one in a line of ineffective leaders. In 1818 he was forced to sign a treaty with the British and accept their protection. Look again at his relaxed pose, with reins in one hand and pipe in the other. He appears comfortable and in command.