Maharana Bhagwat Singh (1921-1984) of Mewar
with a prince
by Mewar court artist
circa 1940 CE
Gouache on paper
10 x 7.5 in. (25.4 x 19 cm.)
The 75th custodian of the house of Mewar, Maharana Bhagwat Singh, served one of the longest and unbroken custodianship of a royal house. He was adopted by the preceding Maharana Bhupal Singh from Shivarati branch and was married to Maharani Sushila Kumari, the granddaughter of Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner.
The court patronage for painters received a setback when all the kingdoms were merged in Rajasthan state, but Bhagwat Singh continued to reward painters. He founded an organization named ‘Maharana of Mewar Charitable foundation’ which runs the City Palace Museum in Udaipur and handles a number of philanthropic works, and also conducts an annual award function where selected people are awarded for their excellency in different fields.