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Chateri Gumani (Indian)
The Lion Hunt of Maharao Umed Singh of Kota, 1779
opaque watercolor on paper
21 3/4 x 26 3/4 in.
Museum purchase, Michele A. and GeorgeannVaccariello Fund and Karl E. Weston Memorial Fund
83.6




  
DISCUSS

Chateri Gumani (Indian)
The Lion Hunt of Maharao Umed Singh of Kota, 1779

There are many details to spot in this painting. Roll your cursor over the image to magnify. What do you notice? What's going on?

In 18th century India, lion hunts were often staged to honor distinguished guests and display the ruler's bravery, skill, and strength. This watercolor celebrates such a scene. It is carefully composed, presenting wild animals and myriad figures with drama and action set amid a rhythmic spring landscape.

Focusing on some of the elements and principles of design can help viewers to read this complex composition.

For class viewing, project The Lion Hunt onto a blank wall. Think about the way the parts of the picture are organized. If you could draw only four or five large lines to divide the composition into its main components, where would you draw those lines (a pointer or laser pointer may be helpful here)?

The principles of design bring our attention to the ways that parts of the picture work together. Consider these principles:

emphasis What part of the image is your eye drawn to most? What makes this area stand out?
movement How does your eye tend to move around the image?
rhythm Do you see lines or shapes that repeat or echo one another, creating a pattern or rhythm? (Hint: look at the trees and the rocks).
balance What has the artist done to create balance throughout the composition? How are areas of light and dark balanced? Color? Line?

 

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