His Highness Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior (1887): Art, History and Details

His Highness Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior (1887) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Ten-year-old Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior (1876–1925; reigned 1886–1925), inherited the throne one year before this photograph was taken. Acceptance of both Indian and British cultural influences can be seen in the contrast of his garb, which is Indian from turban to shoe, with the Western-style furniture, clock, and books. Reflected in the glass balls on the table, which may be an inkwell or perfume jar, are the other people in the room during the shot. The person on the left in the top ball may be the photographer, Lala Deen Dayal.

Object facts

• Title: His Highness Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior
• Date: 1887
• Creator attribution: Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905)
• Culture: India
• Type: Photograph
• Technique: albumen print
• Dimensions: Image: 25.5 x 18.4 cm (10 1/16 x 7 1/4 in.); Paper: 25.5 x 18.4 cm (10 1/16 x 7 1/4 in.)
• Collection: PH - Misc. 19th Century
• Department: Photography
• Accession number: 2016.266.15

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.