Raja Prithvi Singh of Orchha watching a dance performance

Raja Prithvi Singh (r. 1735-1752) stands with his hands joined in a gesture of reverence as he watches a group of dancers enact a scene from the life of the Hindu god Krishna. The performance takes place in an outdoor pavilion, with attendants holding a cloth canopy over the dancers. The scene being enacted is probably from the popular story in which Krishna frolics in the forest with village girls, multiplying himself so that he can dance with all of them simultaneously. A small brass sculpture showing this same episode can be seen in the wall case to your far left. In courtly performances of the type depicted in this painting, traditionally all the dancers-including the one representing Krishna-were women.
Raja Prithvi Singh was a ruler of the central Indian kingdom of Orchcha in what is now Madhya Pradesh state. Whether this work was painted there is unclear, however, as a stamp on the reverse side indicates that it once belonged in the royal collection of the nearby kingdom of Datia. The painting to your right, which bears the same stamp, utilizes similarly bold colors and variations in scale. As Datia was carved out of Orchcha's territories in the 1600s, close connections existed between the two kingdoms. Artists and paintings presumably traveled between them as well., The ruler of a small Hindu state reverently watches a performance of the “dance of divine love” between the Hindu deity Krishna and cowherd women. The painting raises several interesting questions. First, what are the genders of the performers? The cowherd women are probably (but not certainly) portrayed by women. Historical evidence suggests that in such performances Krishna might be portrayed by a woman or a boy. Here, the answer seems uncertain (as it is in many paintings of performances). Second, why would a ruler be depicted having such a performance staged within his palace and looking on respectfully? An answer might be to reinforce the ruler’s power by showing that he has the resources to sponsor such a performance and by emphasizing his piety and attention to religious observation.