An Englishwoman who sketched India before photography took hold

Emily Eden, an Englishwoman and gifted artist from an influential British political family, sketched people across India during the 1830s while accompanying her brother, the governor-general. Her remarkably diverse subjects—ranging from princes and generals to servants, travelers, and hill communities—set her apart from contemporaries, and over two dozen of her sketches were published in 1844 as "Portraits of the Princes and People of India." An exhibition at DAG in Delhi now showcases the complete published series of hand-colored lithographs made from Eden's original sketches, highlighting her unusual curiosity and precision in documenting India before photography became widespread.