Jhujhar Singh on Horseback 1710 - 1740

Dalchand painted "Jhujhar Singh on Horseback" on paper, using opaque watercolor, likely during the 18th century in India. The smooth surface and the vivid colors give it a jewel-like quality. This isn't just a painting, it’s also a window into the world of labor and patronage. Think about the cost of the materials, from the precious pigments to the paper itself. The artist would have needed the support of a wealthy patron to afford these. And consider the time it took to create this work. The fine details, the careful rendering of the figures, all speak to hours of painstaking labor. Dalchand was not only an artist, but also a skilled artisan, deeply embedded in a system of production. By understanding the materials and processes, we can appreciate the social and economic context in which it was made. It challenges us to look beyond the surface and recognize the value of the skills and labor involved in its creation.