Arrival Of Prince Humbert The Rajah At The Palace Of Amber
Edwin Lord Weeks·1888
Historical Context
The Arrival of Prince Humbert at the Palace of Amber commemorates a specific event: the visit of Humbert, Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII), to the Rajput palace of Amber near Jaipur during his Indian tour of 1875–76. Weeks was not personally present at this tour but produced the painting retrospectively, working from sketches, photographs, and his own knowledge of Rajputana acquired during his Indian travels. The subject had obvious appeal to a Western audience given the royal subject, but Weeks's genuine interest was in the elephants and the architecture of the hillside palace.
Technical Analysis
Weeks deploys a high horizon line to accommodate both the palace climbing the hillside and the ceremonial procession below. The elephant procession is his most elaborate animal composition — each beast individually characterised in colour and decoration — while the palace walls above are suggested through atmospheric blue-grey haze.
