An Audience with Rom Rishi

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Mewar school

• Label

  From the evidence of this painting, Rom Rishi (literally, hairy sage) appears to have been the leader of a band of militant ascetics devoted to Vishnu. Wearing Vaishnava tilaks on their foreheads, his attendants, one of whom fans him with a large leaf, are armed with shields and swords. The women and men of the court, all finely dressed, are seated to the right side of the rishi.

• Provenance

  To 1967

  Indian Arts Palace, New Delhi [1]

  From 1967 to 2001

  Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Indian Arts Palace, New Delhi in December 1967 [2]

  From 2001 to 2018

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001

  From 2018

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim

  [1] Ralph Benkaim purchased the painting from Indian Arts Palace, Delhi in December 1967, several years before Indian paintings were classified as antiquities by the Indian government, according to Ralph Benkaim’s personal records, as relayed by Catherine Glynn Benkaim.

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Indian Arts Palace

  Ralph and Catherine Benkaim

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim

• Origin

  Mewar, Rajasthan state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1720s

• Name

  Indian Arts Palace, Benkaim, Ralph and Catherine, Benkaim, Catherine Glynn

• Place

  Rajasthan state, Mewar, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Swords, Attendant, Court, Ascetic

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings