Krishna playing with the gopis in the Yamuna, circa 1770, India; Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2018.118
A sage prostrate before Krishna; folio from a dispersed manuscript, possibly a Bhagavata Purana, circa 1720-1730, India; Himachal Pradesh, Chamba, opaque watercolor and ink on paper, Cincinnati Art Museum, From the Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim Collection, made possible by the generosity of Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer and by Museum Purchase: Alice Bimel Endowment for Asian Art, 2020.8
Prince Bhupal Dev of Jasrota and his wife before a mirror, circa 1720–1725, India; Himachal Pradesh, Jasrota, opaque watercolor and ink on paper, Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim Collection
Attributed to Golu, son of Devidasa, Shiva and Parvati on a tiger skin; folio from the “Third” Rasamanjari, circa 1720–1715, India; Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.13
A nayika tricked by her lover's friend, Vidushaka Nayaka; folio from the "Third" Rasamanjari, circa 1710–1715, India; Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.14
Raja Tedhi Singh of Kullu with attendants, visiting noblemen, dancers, and musicians, circa 1750, India; Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, opaque watercolor with gold on paper, From the Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim Collection, made possible by the generosity of Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer and by Museum Purchase: Alice Bimel Endowment for Asian Art, 2020.7
Vance Waddell and Mayerson Galleries (Galleries 124 and 125)
Free Admission
Featuring more than forty works of art, Longing: Painting from the Pahari Kingdoms of the Northwest Himalayas displays colorful court paintings from present-day India dating between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. These small, portable paintings were produced for royal and noble patronage by artists practicing unique artistic techniques. Influenced by the region’s culture and politics, they portray moments of leisure, religious devotion, and political positioning, and were given as gifts between regional nobility, families, and political allies. Many paintings portray devotional acts meant to connect with the divine; others depict individuals and couples who yearn for romantic dalliance; still others portray rulers and noblemen who longed to be at the center of political control.
Organized around the theme of “longing,” the exhibition encourages visitors to experience art as multisensorial. Select paintings are paired with olfactory stations, touch opportunities, and musical soundscapes to heighten the work’s bhava (emotion or mood) and to encourage multiple ways to physically, intellectually, and emotionally connect with art.
Curated by Ainsley M. Cameron, PhD, Curator of South Asian Art, Islamic Art & Antiquities at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
Every Thursday from February 12–June 4, 2026, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 5–6 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 6–7 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Sunday, February 8, 2026, 1–2 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 6–7 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1–3 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Saturday, April 11, 2026, 1–3 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Sunday, May 24, 2026, 2–4 p.m.
Details coming soon.
Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the tens of thousands of people who give generously to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region's primary source for arts funding.

Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free.
Generous support for our extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
General operating support provided by:


