Kingdom of the Sun: Indian Court and Village Art from the Princely State of Mewar

Filled with over 170 classical Indian works of art and expert commentary, Kingdom of the Sun is a welcome addition to the field of Indian art history.

Few regions of India have so excited the imagination as has the princely state of Mewar, which has been celebrated as the most heroic and illustrious of the Rajput states. Despite this, relatively little writing has been devoted to the innovative artists whose work helped to establish the state’s reputation. Kingdom of the Sun: Indian Court and Village Art from the Princely State of Mewar addresses that deficiency by gathering some of the finest works of Indian art.

The pieces range from the early sixteenth century to the twentieth century. At the core is a selection of works that dramatically conveys the brilliance of Mewar painting. The exhibition brings to life some of the great individual Mewari painters-especially Bakhta (1760-1810) and Chokha (1799-1824)-who previously have been largely relegated to anonymity.

For his book, original essays were commissioned from leading scholars-these essays represent a significant advancement in scholarship related to Mewar. Exhibition curator Joanna Williams has also written detailed entries for each of the objects on display. The result is a book that gives an intimate sense of an extraordinary place and the remarkable people who created a legacy there, one that continues to fascinate to this day.