Answer: Rao Bhao Singh
Rao Bhao Singh (1659–1682) was an enthusiastic, self-indulging patron of the Bundi school of painting.
A prolific and distinct school of painting flourished in Bundi in the seventeenth century, which is remarkable for its unblemished colour sense and excellent formal design.
Bundi Ragamala dated 1591, assigned to the earliest and formative phase of Bundi painting, has been painted at Chunar in the reign of Bhoj Singh (1585–1607), the Hada Rajput ruler.
The Bundi school blossomed under the patronage of two rulers — Rao Chattar Sal (1631–1659), who was made the governor of Delhi by Shahjahan and played a conspicuous role in the subjugation of the Deccan; and his son Rao Bhao Singh (1659–1682), who was an enthusiastic, self-indulging patron as revealed from numerous portraits that he commissioned of himself and other dated works. Innovative developments have been observed under the reigns of his successors Aniruddha Singh (1682–1702) and Budh Singh, whose whiskered face is visible in many portraits. Despite numerous political disputes and having lost his kingdom four times, he is known to have encouraged the art of painting. |
