Painting

Wajid

• Published Pasricha, "Painting at Sawar & at Isarda in the 17th Century", 1982
  31.8 x 40 cms

An Equestrian Portrait of Prince Kauju Ram. This painting has on the reverse the following inscription - "Kanwar Shri Kauju Ramji, riding the stallion Manik, the stallion given by Durga Dasji. Of Isarda ... Wajid."

Isarda, Circa 1690, Opaque watercolour & gold on paper.

This important painting was instrumental in identifying the Isarda School. The inscription, which is noted above, states that the painting was of Prince Kauju Ram & that Durga Dasji gave him the stallion Manik he is riding. It also indicates that the Prince was from the Isarda family. As he is referred to as Kanwar this picture was painted while his father Mohan Singh was still alive.(1) Rajasthan at the end of the 17th century was in turmoil with various Rajput princes rebelling against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Durga Das was key to the formation of a Rajput alliance against the imperial power & has always been considered one of the great heroes of Rajasthan.(2) A portrait of Durga Das by Wajid is now in the British Library (Fig.15, Pasricha, Paintings at Sawar & at Isarda, 1982).

This painting shows the young Prince riding the prancing stallion Manick. Here Wajid combines a hierarchical portrait of the Prince with a lively and beautiful portrait of the horse. The status of the prince is emphasised by the beauty of the horse. Wajid has used wonderful lines to delineate the grace and strength of this wonderful horse.(3)

1. Pasricha, "Painting at Sawar and at Isarda in the Seventeenth Century", 1982
2. For details of this rebellion see: Sir Jadunath Sarkar, The History of Aurangzib, Calcutta 1912
3. Another horse portrait by Wajid, see: Darielle Manson, Intimate Worlds, 2001, Plate 44