Umed Singh hunting boar

The artist has captured here an extraordinary moment in the hunting expedition of King Umed Singh (1739-71) of Bundi. The wild boar has jumped onto the king with its front legs, unstabling his horse. The terrified blue roan has his eyes wide open, his mouth slightly parted, and his mane raised and dishevelled. The king is flung up in his seat, but has his feet still in the stirrups and holds on tightly to the rein. But for the swift act of the king in piercing the boar with his sword, the beast would have overpowered him. The artist has vividly depicted the king struggling to keep his balance and at the same time thrusting his sword at the animal as his last chance of survival. The fierceness of the eyes and the face of the boar are painted with such skill and understanding of animal behavior that one may surmise that the artist was actually present at the scene. Though the incident must have taken place in the forest, the plain, bare background, broken only by a row of white clouds in the sky, directs the focus to the drama of life and death.
Among all the hunting sports, boar hunting is considered most heroic in Rajasthan, which explains why we find a number of paintings of kings engaged in this sport.