Untitled (Portrait of Bonsha Gopal Nandi)

English artist Benjamin Hudson is known to have lived in Calcutta between 1856 and 1862 and painted portraits of the members of the ruling family of Burdwan during this period. According to research by an auction house, Bonsha Gopal Nandi, the sitter, was the brother of the wife of Maharaja Mahtab of Burdwan. As they did not have any children, they wanted to adopt this young man as heir. However, he died early, and his son was adopted to be the next ruler of Burdwan. Besides throwing light on a little known story, this portrait is remarkable for showcasing the exquisite skills of the artist, many of whose portraits are part of public museums in England.