Page 181 - Eye of the beholder

From the style of facial features, particularly the eyes, the work perhaps belongs to Kishangarh regional School. On an open terrace surrounded by a traceried marble parapet, the Raja sits on a broad hexagonal platform with a large bolster that has the print in off white against a red background with green cloth forming the circular sides of it. He wears a white gold printed long angarkha that is held at the waist by the gold kamar bandh. The printed motif is a leaf that in the main body of the gown is represented vertical, but in the sleeves is horizontal. A halo in green colour with gold circumscribing it has gold rays emanating from it, which encompasses his face. The facial features are sharp and well set. The ear is realistically modeled and is adorned with a baali with two pearls. An interesting feature is the side lock that ends in a triangle and covers the side of the face, the end meeting the curved point of the moustache. The side locks as it comes sweeping down the face is interrupted by small kiss curls. This representation of side locks resonate with the Kishangarh style. The turban on his head is equally remarkable fashioned in two colours, namely the printed red and the plain green. There is not much jewellery adorning his body except the gold ring in the little finger of his right hand and a few pearls sewn at the side of the turban. An outline contouring the profiled face is apparent.
Behind the Raja are two attendants, one of them has a morchal and the other sports a shield and a sword. Their facial features and sartorial attire is similar to the courtiers standing opposite to them. The design of the turban is varied with a solid white border fringing it all around and green strands of clothes interweaving through the main red printed fabric which forms the primary design. The turban ends in front of the head on top in a point.
The Raja is in conversation with a Brahmin who stands in front of him with folded hands and making an appeal, while the fingers of the Raja have been represented as though questioning him. The Brahmin’s features are equally delineated with sharp strong outline, a receding hairline with hair knotted behind his head. The eyebrows, like the Raja is bow shaped, he wears a moustache and has side locks like the main protagonist. He is however bare bodied and wears a saffron yellow pleated skirt below, which is full length reaching up to his ankle. The fingers as well as the bare chest and arms are neatly outlined and his wrist is adorned with two gold kadas. Behind the Brahmin stands three courtiers whose facial features and turbans are similar to the main protagonist the Raja seated in front of them. All three wear angarkha, designed in a manner wherein the sloping part of the upper section near the neckline ends in a cluster of pleats. The kamar bandh is a simple white band. All three wear a gold rectangular shaped pendant around their neck and baali’s with pearls. The courtier on the extreme left
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