A Portrait of a Prince

A young prince is seated in a palace courtyard under a canopy receiving a party of noblemen. His ministers stand behind him, wearing peaked turbans with floral patterns, their gestures conveying their welcoming demeanor towards the noblemen. The guests are wearing red and blue turbans, with katars tucked into their sash. The head of the group presents his katar with folded hands to the prince, a sign indicating friendship and allegiance. The prince is shown presenting a yellow flower, probably a sign of acceptance. The scribe, depicted in the left foreground is recording this royal rendezvous, the top title of his folio reads “Shri Nath ji”. In all probability, the image is of Maharaja Man Singh of Jodhpur as a young prince, a devotee of Shri Jalandhar Nath.
For paintings chronicling the royal events from the lives of the Rajput rulers see A.Topsfield, Paintings from Rajasthan, Melbourne, 1980