Rare Pahari Paintings Go On Display In Washington Exhibition

WASHINGTON, DC -A major exhibition of Indian art has opened in the U.S. capital, showcasing rare paintings from the Himalayan hill kingdoms and highlighting a lesser-known but influential artistic tradition.

Titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms,” the exhibition is being held till July 26, at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, part of the National Museum of Asian Art.

The show features 48 works created for Hindu kings in the Pahari region of northern India between the 1620s and 1830s. Curators at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art described the paintings as “some of the world’s most beautiful—yet least understood—works of art” from the Himalayan region.

The exhibition explores how artists worked across the mountainous terrain of northern India, producing a range of styles shaped by diverse cultural and religious influences. Painters worked in “radically different styles ranging from lyrical and naturalistic to boldly colored and abstracted,” the curators said.

It also highlights the collaborative nature of artistic production in the region. The exhibition “illuminates new scholarship on the collaborative artist communities in which most painters worked,” offering fresh insights into how these works were created.

Curators have organized the display to provide historical context, reflecting the political, cultural, and religious life of the time. Visitors are encouraged to “look closely to enter a world of fine detail that delights and astounds,” pointing to the intricate craftsmanship of the paintings.

A key component of the exhibition is a group of works acquired from art historian Catherine Glynn Benkaim and collector Ralph Benkaim. The museum said, “Some of these artworks have never been exhibited publicly before,” underscoring their significance.

The exhibition also includes works on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art, shown alongside pieces from the museum’s own collection to present a broader view of the Pahari tradition.

The Washington exhibition is part of a wider initiative to highlight Pahari art, running alongside related shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Museum. A publication titled “Pahari Paintings: Art and Stories” accompanies the exhibition. (IANS)