c. 1840

Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala Blesses a Nobleman

This completed illustration shows the final stages of the painting process. After coloring and detailing the painting, the artist finished the border, then applied and burnished the metallic pigments, such as gold. Maharaja Karam Singh (reigned 1813-45), shown here larger than his subject and with a glowing halo behind his head, ruled the Sikh state of Patiala in eastern Punjab, one of the princely states of British India. He was closely allied with the British; another portrait probably by this artist (now in a private collection) shows him seated in an armchair in Western-style military attire.