‘India’s Great Mughals’ Presents Beauty and Inspiration
International exhibition illuminates art, history, and collaboration
With a footprint in Virginia from May to August of 2026, the exhibition “India’s Great Mughals: Art, Power, and Opulence” presents breathtaking historic art alongside lessons in Asian history and stories of cross-cultural collaboration.
Many of the displayed objects are on loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum in England. The exhibition traveled first to Hong Kong (August 2025 to February 2026), will go to Tennessee, and is on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond from May 9 to August 23, 2026.
The exhibition highlights the mid-16th to mid-19th centuries in the Mughal Empire in and around the Indian subcontinent. The three greatest Mughals – Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan – showcased their riches, in part, through decorative and practical art. Trade in products, ideas, and people brought a wealth of influences into and out of the empire. These influences thrived in the cosmopolitan courts and a multiethnic population.
They welcomed Hindu and Muslim artists, Iranian painters, calligraphers, and architects, joining with artists, imagery, techniques, and materials from around the world – a stunning cross-cultural collaboration.
Think of the Taj Mahal, which is highlighted in the exhibition, and you get a taste of the opulence and art that accompanied the power.
A taste of the beauty in ‘India’s Great Mughals’
The VMFA presentation of “India’s Great Mughals” includes a variety of artworks, arranged chronologically according to each of the three rulers. Visitors can look for
- detailed colorful watercolors
- sandstone jalis – intricately patterned stone screens that graced Indian windows
- lavish decorated carpets
- vessels and weapons made from bronze, copper, and metal alloys
- manuscript pages from Akbar’s Kitabkhana (House of Books) with carefully crafted calligraphy
- striking iridescent items inlaid with mother of pearl
- intricate inlaid wooden cabinets
- dazzling jeweled items, including a sword and scabbard and pen box
- natural history paintings that demonstrate the courts’ attention to science and reason – including an American turkey
- marble palace balustrades inlaid with semiprecious stones
The exhibition also includes videos to supplement viewers’ understanding and appreciation.
The cross-cultural influences can be seen in the exhibition itself, with objects on loan from the V&A Museum, the VMFA collection, and other museums. While the art pieces themselves will capture your attention, be sure to note the exhibition’s creative lighting, which poetically enhances many of the exhibits.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts presents a variety of programs and events in conjunction with the exhibition, from tours and talks to concerts, dances, and wine tastings.
The courts’ artistic influence continued after the fall of the Mughal Empire and will be revived in the minds of those who have the opportunity to view the “India’s Great Mughals.”
