Maharaja art goes on show at British Museum

A new exhibition of 54 paintings from the royal court of the Indian maharajas never before seen in Europe is to be unveiled at the British Museum tomorrow.

Garden and Cosmos — The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur has been billed as an "exceptionally rare" opportunity to see a unique type of Indian painting from the 17th to 19th centuries.

It is part of the museum's Indian Summer season that runs from May to October and features exhibitions, installations, performances, lectures and film screenings about Indian culture.

The new show, which runs until 23 August, borrows from the royal collection at the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in Jodhpur and the National Museum in Delhi.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were given a glimpse of the rare Indian paintings last night.

The Prince said: "This remarkable exhibition provides a way to see India's great artistic heritage.

"India holds a great fascination for many of us including myself."

Richard Blurton, curator at the museum's department of Asia, added: "Court paintings of this subject matter, intense colour juxtaposition and size are exceptionally rare."