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Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A royal elephant, named Nahan, according to the inscription, is attempting to free itself by breaking the chain. His ears are flexed forward, and his great mass overwhelms the five men trying to control the elephant with spears and firecrackers tied to sticks. The artist used gold in the elephant’s eye to emphasize the intensity of expression.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineRao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok, c. 1700. Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kota. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; page: 20 x 41.6 cm (7 7/8 x 16 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2018.177, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
