Maharaja Balwant Singh hunts a tiger

Gouache with gold on paper.

The minor Pahari nobleman Raja Balwant Singh (1723-1763) is known above all for his patronage of the artist Nainsukh, whose paintings interpret with insight and originality his master’s daily pursuits, dreams or inner concerns. In this perhaps imaginary scene, Balwant Singh wearing hunting green gallops in to attack an enormous tiger, encircled by four horsemen and their dogs.

To view a high-resolution version of this image and for further information please visit the Yousef Jameel Online Centre at the Ashmolean.