Equestrian Portrait of Maharana Raj Singh II of Mewar (r. 1755–62)

The youthful king was only eleven years old when he inherited the throne from his father Pratap Singh II (r. 1752–55). Here shown with barely the beginnings of facial hair starting to grow, he wears a gorgeous turban with fresh flowers tucked into the bejeweled band, and a lion-headed dagger in his belt. Multicolored clouds gather forbiddingly in the sky, promising rain, as the black stallion trots through the grasses, and he gestures to his attendants not to be afraid.