A View of the Fort of Mongheer, upon the Banks of the River Ganges

William Hodges, the first English artist to arrive in India on documenting the country’s landscapes, monuments and people, specialised in creating long shots of the views he encountered on his country-wide travels. This etching, though measuring less than two-feet across, encompasses a lot of the vista in ‘Mongheer’ (present-day Munger in Bihar). A modest fort at the far end oversees the mighty Ganga flowing past in the foreground, on which are gently bobbing small boats and freight carriers. The vast sky bursting with sunlight amidst clouds is an equally important presence.