Mokham Singh (r. 1838-1841) of Kishangarh with Courtiers

A haloed and bejeweled Mokham Singh (r. 1838–41), maharaja of Kishangarh in the central region of Rajasthan, receives his courtiers on a terrace overlooking a serene lake edged by a white marble railing and perfectly clipped shrubs. The composition is most likely viewed from the palace on the southern shore of Gundalao Lake. At the heart of the lake is Mokham Vilas, a pleasure pavilion and garden, which can be reached by boat when the lake is full during the rainy months. A summer breeze is visualized by the ripples on the lake, and the horizontal lines continue ashore to unify the water and the land. Against this harmonious vista of his dominion, Mokham Singh stands majestically with his head encircled in a nimbus to signal his divine rule over humankind and nature.