Object Details
- Sitter
- Maharana Jagat Singh II (1734-1751)
- Court
- Mewar Court
- School/Tradition
- Rajput school
- Provenance
- ?-1965
- Sir William George (W. G.) Archer (1907-1979), method of acquisition unknown [1]
- 1965-2001
- Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), acquired from Sir William George Archer [2]
- 2001-2012
- Catherine Glynn Benkaim, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim [3]
- From 2012
- Freer Gallery of Art, Purchase and partial gift from Catherine Glynn Benkaim [4]
- Notes:
- [1] See inscription of William George Archer’s initials on verso. See also document titled “Two paintings from the reign of Maharana Jagat Singh, Curatorial justification written by Debra Diamond,” April 26, 2012, pp. 1-2, copy in object file. Object is described as “Maharana Jagat Singh II Worshiping in the Kacheri Mahal.”
- Sir William George (W. G.) Archer was a collector, curator, and civil servant. Archer served as a member of the Indian Civil Service in Bihar and the Naga Hills between 1931 and 1948, and quickly developed a deep interest in Indian painting and poetry. In 1934, Archer married Dame Mildred Agnes Bell (1911-2005) in England. Mildred, also known as Tim, was a curator and art historian specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century Indian art from the time of the British Raj. The Archers lived in India until 1948 and amassed a significant collection of Indian painting. Objects from the Archers’ collection may also be found in the and the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections in the British Library (formerly in the collection of the India Office Library). While stationed in Patna in 1941, the couple also established connections with some of the leading collectors and connoisseurs of Indian painting, including, Rai Krishna Dasa (1892-1980), Gopi Krishna Kanoria (1917-1987), and the lawyer Percival Chater (P. C.) Manuk (1873-1946). Returning to England, Archer became the Keeper of the Indian Section at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and was the most prolific author on Indian painting in the 1950s and early 1970s. Archer also regularly returned to India on research trips and cultivated his relationships with dealers, scholars, and collectors.
- [2] See note 1.
- Ralph Benkaim was an entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles who started collecting Indian and Islamic art in 1961.
- [3] Catherine Glynn Benkaim is a collector and scholar in the field of Indian painting. Ms. Benkaim met her husband, Ralph Benkaim, in the 1970s when she was the curator of Indian painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The couple were married 1979 and together they amassed a collection of Indian paintings, which included examples from all genres. They collected objects for their collection through dealers and auctions. Objects from their collection may also be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Williams College Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others.
- [4] See “Appendix B Bill of Sale” and “Appendix C Donor Substantiation Letter,” dated August 20, 2012, copy in object file.
- Research updated February 13, 2023
- Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art Collection
- Exhibition History
- A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur (November 19, 2022 to May 14, 2023)
- The Indian Heritage, Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule (April 21 to August 22, 1982)
- Previous custodian or owner
- Sir William George Archer (1907-1979)
- Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001)
- Catherine Glynn Benkaim
- Credit Line
- Purchase and partial gift made in 2012 from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
- ca. 1735-1740
- Period
- Sisodia dynasty, Reign of Jagat Singh II
- Accession Number
- F2012.4.6
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (image-inside border): 36.3 × 21.7 cm (14 5/16 × 8 9/16 in)
- H x W x D (exhibition frame): 58.4 × 45.7 × 4.4 cm (23 × 18 × 1 3/4 in)
- Origin
- Udaipur, Rajasthan state, Mewar, India
- Related Online Resources
- Google Arts & Culture
- See more items in
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Topic
- worship
- Sisodia dynasty (861 - 1947)
- courtier
- India
- musician
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- interior
- Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection
- Record ID
- fsg_F2012.4.6
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye33909c4ca-9d24-432f-878a-90549f4824c8
