Portraits in Princely India, 1700-1947

This book examines the rulers at war, at play, in the durbar, visiting shrines, temples, and mosques, and receiving ambassadors. The stories behind the portraits: why they were commissioned, who commissioned them, what the rulers wished to say, are also examined. The arrival to European painters in the late 18th century presented a new opportunity for Indian rulers to commission self-portraits of a different kind, and also led indigenous artists to experiment in new styles and mediums. Photography brought further opportunities for the princes to have their portraits taken in different situations. Here is a wealth of paintings  and photographs — especially lesser known provincial pictures — that are subjected to modern, critical analysis while presenting handsome images to the reader.