Place of Many Moods: Udaipur's Painted Lands and India's Eighteenth Century

In the eighteenth century, artists in Udaipur, India, specialized in depicting the vibrant sensory ambience of its historic palaces, reservoirs, temples, bazaars, and durbars. This painting tradition reveals the political and artistic changes of the era, such as the weakening of Mughal imperial authority and the rise of the British colonial economy. The artworks, including monumental court paintings, royal portraits, Jain letter scrolls, devotional manuscripts, cartographic artifacts, and architectural drawings, convey the bhava—the feel, emotion, and mood—of specific places, revealing visions of pleasure, plenitude, and praise. The paintings also illuminate the close relationship between painting and poetry, and the ties among art, architecture, literature, politics, ecology, trade, and religion. The Place of Many Moods explores how these artworks aesthetically enticed audiences to forge bonds of belonging to real locales and to long for idealized futures, emphasizing the senses, spaces, and sociability essential to the efficacy of objects and expressions of territoriality.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 232 pages
\n Publication date: 29 September 2020
\n Publisher: Princeton University Press
\n

In the vibrant tapestry of the eighteenth century, the city of Udaipur, nestled in the picturesque landscapes of northwestern India, emerged as a hub of artistic excellence. Artists in this enchanting city, renowned for its serene lakes, created a remarkable legacy by skillfully capturing the essence of its historic palaces, reservoirs, temples, bustling bazaars, and grand durbars. As the Mughal imperial authority waned and the British colonial economy took center stage, a new era of patronage and mobility reshaped the artistic landscape across early modern India.

The Place of Many Moods delves into the profound significance of Udaipur's artworks, encompassing a wide array of mediums such as monumental court paintings, royal portraits, Jain letter scrolls, devotional manuscripts, cartographic artifacts, and architectural drawings. Through the lens of Dipti Khera, the book reveals how these immersive objects possess the remarkable ability to evoke the bhava—the profound emotional and sensory experience—of specific places. By meticulously detailing the intricate nuances of color, texture, and composition, Khera unveils a tapestry of visions that evoke feelings of pleasure, abundance, and praise. These memorialized moods challenge the colonial narratives that have often portrayed Oriental decadence, shaping our understanding of culture and time.

Khera's exploration extends beyond the realm of aesthetics, delving into the intricate connections between painting and poetry, as well as the interwoven relationships among art, architecture, literature, politics, ecology, trade, and religion. She sheds light on how Udaipur's painters strategically crafted their works to captivate audiences, including courtly connoisseurs, itinerant monks, and mercantile collectives. Their pioneering images sought to stir a range of emotions, from love and awe to wonder and abundance, emphasizing the sensory experiences, spatial dimensions, and sociability that were essential to the efficacy of objects and expressions of territoriality.

Through The Place of Many Moods, we gain a deeper appreciation for the rich artistic heritage of Udaipur and its profound impact on the cultural and political landscape of the eighteenth century. The city's artworks serve as a testament to the enduring power of art to transcend boundaries, evoke emotions, and shape our understanding of the world. As we immerse ourselves in the vibrant tapestry of Udaipur's artistic legacy, we are invited to explore the complexities of history, culture, and the human experience, and to appreciate the enduring beauty and significance of art in shaping our collective memory.

\n Weight: 1116g\n
Dimension: 214 x 275 x 23 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780691201849\n \n