The auspicious and the mechanized: exploring transitions in temporalities through the wall paintings of Shekhawati (1750–1940)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article uses depictions of mechanical clocks in wall paintings of the Shekhawati region in Rajasthan to study the transition to a mechanized temporal order in a context that was both linked to cosmopolitan trade cities and separate from them. At one level, an increased visual citation of the mechanical timepiece is proof of an increased influence of clock time, while the diversity in these depictions highlights the multiple perceptions of the most visible artefact of a new temporal order. Tracing the development in depictions of temporality in the paintings from 1750 onwards, the article also explores the continuities and breaks with depictions of time pre-dating the introduction of imperial clock time (which only gained influence in the region towards the end of the nineteenth century). Moving beyond treating the paintings as sources of historical enquiry and traces of historical change, the article focusses on the decorative qualities of the wall paintings, as well as the ornamental aspect of the mechanical time-piece, to explore their agency in mediating attitudes towards a new temporal framework.