Tiger Hunt of Raja Ram Singh IIc. 1830–40 · Study 2011.139

Context from the museum

With the dramatic cliffs of Kotah as the backdrop, one massive tiger is shown at three rapidly successive moments in time. Having been lured out of the forest by the dead bull at the upper left, the king’s men drive the tiger to the riverbanks with drums, trumpets, arrows, and muskets. The king himself, Ram Singh II who ruled the small kingdom of Kotah from 1827 until 1866, is shown in the act of delivering the fatal shot from the prow of a boat, as the ladies and nobles of the court look on in admiration. The tiger sinks into the river, from where he will be retrieved and offered with all honor and ceremony to a religious leader who will see to it that the shakti, or divine creative energies embodied by the tiger, be translated into blessings and prosperity for the kingdom. This example of a ritual tiger hunt belongs to a genre known as Rajput painting, made at the courts of kingdoms in Rajasthan that were under the aegis of the Mughal empire. The establishment of court painting workshops in the Rajput kingdoms was inspired by the imperial Mughal model, but each court developed its own distinctive style.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Tiger Hunt of Raja Ram Singh II is 48.9 cm wide and 64.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 19.3 × 25.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.75:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.32 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 16.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 125.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Tiger Hunt of Raja Ram Singh II in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, gold, and silver on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 48.9 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?