Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir with Sons and Courtiers (1870s): Art, History and Details

Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir with Sons and Courtiers (1870s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Bourne & Shepherd (British, active India, 1868–2016).

The work and its context

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

Ranbir Singh (1830–1885), a ruler of the military Dogra dynasty, sits enthroned, surrounded by members of his court. He was the son of Gulab Singh (reigned 1846–1856), depicted in the portrait at the left. The courtiers in the front row—including his son—sit in European-style chairs, and one of his soldiers wears a British-style uniform and helmet. The picture’s oval format was popular among the British. These visual elements communicate Dogra’s allegiance to British colonial rule. Ranbir Singh supported the British during the Uprising of 1857, after which India became part of the British Empire.

Object facts

• Title: Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir with Sons and Courtiers
• Date: 1870s
• Creator attribution: Bourne & Shepherd (British, active India, 1868–2016)
• Culture: Northern India, Pahari kingdoms
• Type: Photograph
• Technique: albumen print
• Dimensions: Paper: 21.5 x 29.5 cm (8 7/16 x 11 5/8 in.); Mounted: 31.3 x 34.5 cm (12 5/16 x 13 9/16 in.)
• Collection: PH - British 19th Century
• Department: Photography
• Accession number: 2024.80

A detail from the museum

Anchoring the center of this oval composition is the maharaja, resplendent in richly embroidered robes and jewels and wearing a sword and a dagger.

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.