Portrait of Shivaji c. 1675 - 1685

This is an anonymous portrait of Shivaji, rendered in watercolor, now held at the Rijksmuseum. Its charm resides in the precise depiction of line and pattern. The artist constructs Shivaji's form through careful attention to detail, seen in the rendering of his striped tunic and elaborate belt. There is an almost obsessive quality to how each stripe and jewel is articulated. This lends the portrait a somewhat flattened appearance. The figure exists within a shallow pictorial space that emphasizes surface design over depth. The very bright green background flattens the image, almost pushing Shivaji forward, while the patterned frame with its colorful floral design and geometric panel, further emphasizes this sense of decorative order. Ultimately, the work is a careful balance of formal elements, with colour and line creating an image that invites us to consider the relationship between representation and pattern. This challenges us to look beyond the mere depiction of a figure and appreciate the artwork's formal construction.