Maharana Sangram Singh Hunting Hares at Naramangra

Unidentified Artist · 1720-01-01T00:00:00Z

The hunt as a royal activity was almost ritualized in later Rajput society. In the absence of martial activity—they had long been pacified by the Mughals—the hunt became the premier expression of those most highly valued Rajput qualities, bravery and valor. Court artists were routinely required to accompany the rulers and his nobility on such occasions, and to faithfully record the event. The action in this painting is unusually unified as the hunting party, closes in on the kill. Small hills and fortifications beyond create an impression of pictorial depth, and edging the picture with a stream or lake is a standard device in seventeenth-century Rajput painting to create a natural boundary for the scene.