Equestrian portrait of Rana Amar Singh II

Mewar Court Rajput School ?-July 1972 Sir Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017), method of acquisition unknown [1] July 1972-2001 Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), purchased from Sir Howard Hodgkin [2] 2001-2012 Catherine Glynn Benkaim, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim [3] From 2012 Freer Gallery of Art, purchase and partial gift from Catherine Glynn Benkaim [4] Notes: [1] See document titled “Four paintings from the reign of Rana Amar Singh II Curatorial justification written by Debra Diamond,” dated April 26, 2012, p. 7, copy in object file. Sir Howard Hodgkin was an English painter and well-known collector of Indian paintings. In 1946, Hodgkin started collecting Indian paintings after he had been introduced to them while attending Eton College. Objects from Hodgkin’s collection may also be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. [2] See note 1. The curatorial justification states that “[t]he Benkaims” purchased this object from Hodgkin. However, Ralph Benkaim was more likely the legal owner of this object since he and Catherine Glynn Benkaim were not married until 1979.s Ralph Benkaim was an entertainment lawyer from Los Angles who started collecting Indian and Islamic art in 1961. [3] See note 1. Catherine Glynn Benkaim is collector and scholar in the field of Indian painting. Ms. Benkaim met her husband, Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), in the 1970s when she was the curator of Indian painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The couple were married 1979 and together they amassed a collection of Indian paintings, which included examples from all genres. They collected objects for their collection through dealers and auctions. Objects from their collection may also be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Williams College Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others. [4] See “Appendix B Bill of Sale” and “Appendix C Donor Substantiation Letter,” dated August 20, 2012, copy in object file. Research updated February 9, 2023 Freer Gallery of Art Collection Princes, Palaces, and Passion: The Art of India's Mewar Kingdom (February 02, 2007 to Sunday, April 29, 2007) Sir Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017) Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001) Catherine Glynn Benkaim