An Audience with Rom Rishi

Historical period(s)
ca. 1700-1725
School
Mewar school
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (painting): 18.1 × 28.6 cm (7 1/8 × 11 1/4 in) H x W (overall): 22.2 × 32.4 cm (8 3/4 × 12 3/4 in)
Geography
India, Rajasthan state, Mewar
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the Freer and Sackler Galleries
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2018.1.25
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Painting

Keywords
ascetic, attendant, court, India, Ralph and Catherine Benkaim collection, sword
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
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.

Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Terms of Use