The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is organising an international exhibition A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur, in association with the City Palace Museum in Udaipur and supported by Friends of Mewar, USA. The exhibition will display about  75 pieces of art from various collections, including paintings that date from the 1700s to the 1900s. By Ralan Kithan 

Udaipur in Rajasthan is often called India’s City of Lakes, courtesy of the many white palaces tucked away in a valley of calm water bodies. Its iconic status was partly established by its painters. In the 18th century, Udaipur’s erstwhile artists focused on large-scale paintings of the city’s palaces, streets, and landscapes, in turn setting themselves apart from other Indian painters. They attempted to capture the sensory and lived experiences of these locations in a way that would inspire emotions like delight or amazement.