Ramkishore Singh of Rewa (1886): Art, History and Details

Ramkishore Singh of Rewa (1886) 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:

Ramkishore Singh, likely a high-ranking official or merchant, is depicted twice in the album, each time aboard a luxurious type of transport. In one photograph, he rides atop an elephant, a creature associated with India, power, and fortitude, preceded by an attendant on horseback. In the other, he rides in a European-style carriage pulled by two horses, flanked by attendants on camels (native to parts of India) and horses. Like the images of Britons in their carriages and rickshaws, these depictions suggest the sitter’s wealth through his possession of servants, animals, and vehicles.

Object facts

• Title: Ramkishore Singh of Rewa
• Date: 1886
• Creator attribution: Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905)
• Culture: India
• Type: Photograph
• Technique: albumen print
• Dimensions: Image: 18.6 x 27 cm (7 5/16 x 10 5/8 in.); Paper: 18.6 x 27 cm (7 5/16 x 10 5/8 in.)
• Collection: PH - Misc. 19th Century
• Department: Photography
• Accession number: 2016.266.23

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.