19th century painting of Raja Serfoji and his son Sivaji

A rare 19th century painting of Raja Serfoji and his son Sivaji, which was stolen from Saraswathi Mahal, Thanjavur, a few years ago has been traced by Idol Wing CID police to the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA. 

Context

 A rare 19th century painting of Raja Serfoji and his son Sivaji, which was stolen from Saraswathi Mahal, Thanjavur, a few years ago has been traced by Idol Wing CID police to the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA. 

• The painting was purchased in 2006 from an international antique dealer who was arrested by the State police in 2011 on charges of smuggling several antiques/artefacts.  
  
  
  
  

Background of the painting 

• For a long time, the rulers of Thanjavur had been devoid of absolute power. 
• Serfoji, placed by the British on the throne over his step brother Amar Singh, died in 1832. 
• His only son Sivaji ruled until 1855. 
• However, he had no male successor. 
• Thanjavur became a casualty of Lord Dalhousie's infamous 'Doctrine of Lapse', and it got absorbed into British-ruled Indian provinces. 
• The painting, which has Raja Serfoji and his  youthful son, according to some historians, was probably painted between 1822 and 1827 and kept in the Saraswathi Mahal. 
• In 1918, the Saraswathi Mahal Library was opened to the public. 
• Efforts were made to microfilm and catalogue the contents in 1965 when Indira Gandhi, who was the Information and Broadcasting Minister, sanctioned the fund for the library's development. 
• Despite this, there exists no record to show the disappearance of the painting from the mahal.