Hodges visited Ayodhya in February 1783, when it was under the control of the Nawabs of Lucknow. In his description of the city, he refers to its great antiquity, being ‘frequently mentioned in the Mahabarat’. His view shows a mosque, a bathing ghat and some shrines on the bank of the River Gogra.
A View of the Gate of the Caravan Serai at Raje Mahel
20 May 1785
12.2 x 18.2 in. / 31.0 x 46.2 cm
Rajmahal lies eighty miles from Murshidabad, on the western bank of the Ganges. Hodges visited it in April 1781. Among the numerous Mughal-era ruins found in the region, he especially admired the caravan serai.
A View of the Fort of Gwalior from the N.W.
1 April 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Visiting Gwalior in 1783, Hodges was impressed by the fort, which ‘has been generally considered, by Europeans, as the Gibraltar of the East’. He made sketches for two views of the fort, the first being this one, from the city side, in which the palaces clustered in the north-east corner are prominent.
A View of Part of the City of Oud
20 May 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges visited Ayodhya in February 1783, when it was under the control of the Nawabs of Lucknow. In his description of the city, he refers to its great antiquity, being ‘frequently mentioned in the Mahabarat’. His view shows a mosque, a bathing ghat and some shrines on the bank of the River Gogra.
A View of the Gate of the Caravan Serai at Raje Mahel
20 May 1785
12.2 x 18.2 in. / 31.0 x 46.2 cm
Rajmahal lies eighty miles from Murshidabad, on the western bank of the Ganges. Hodges visited it in April 1781. Among the numerous Mughal-era ruins found in the region, he especially admired the caravan serai.
A View of the Fort of Gwalior from the N.W.
1 April 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Visiting Gwalior in 1783, Hodges was impressed by the fort, which ‘has been generally considered, by Europeans, as the Gibraltar of the East’. He made sketches for two views of the fort, the first being this one, from the city side, in which the palaces clustered in the north-east corner are prominent.
A View of Part of the City of Oud
20 May 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges visited Ayodhya in February 1783, when it was under the control of the Nawabs of Lucknow. In his description of the city, he refers to its great antiquity, being ‘frequently mentioned in the Mahabarat’. His view shows a mosque, a bathing ghat and some shrines on the bank of the River Gogra.
A View of the Gate of the Caravan Serai at Raje Mahel
20 May 1785
12.2 x 18.2 in. / 31.0 x 46.2 cm
Rajmahal lies eighty miles from Murshidabad, on the western bank of the Ganges. Hodges visited it in April 1781. Among the numerous Mughal-era ruins found in the region, he especially admired the caravan serai.
A View of the Fort of Gwalior from the N.W.
1 April 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Visiting Gwalior in 1783, Hodges was impressed by the fort, which ‘has been generally considered, by Europeans, as the Gibraltar of the East’. He made sketches for two views of the fort, the first being this one, from the city side, in which the palaces clustered in the north-east corner are prominent.
A View of the Ruins of a Palace at Gazipoor on the River Ganges
4 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges passed through Ghazipur, located east of Benares, in early August 1781. The palace which caught his eye was not ancient, but it was in a state of disrepair; he described it as ‘a fine palace … raised on a high bank, and commanding two great reaches of the river.’
A View of part of the Fort of Lutteefpoor
7 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Latifpur as ‘made strong from the singularity of its situation, being immersed in a thick wood of bamboos and other trees close to the foot of the ditch, and only one direct avenue to the fort, which might be secured by a few men, if resolutely defended.’
A View of the Fort of Bidjegur
29 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Vijaigarh as ‘situated at the top of a mountain, which is closed with wood from the plain below to almost its summit.’ His view of it—like those of the other forts in the region—contains no sign of the ongoing military operations that occasioned his visits. Instead, he depicts the forts in a ruinous state, and the surrounding forest areas.
A View of the Ruins of a Palace at Gazipoor on the River Ganges
4 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges passed through Ghazipur, located east of Benares, in early August 1781. The palace which caught his eye was not ancient, but it was in a state of disrepair; he described it as ‘a fine palace … raised on a high bank, and commanding two great reaches of the river.’
A View of part of the Fort of Lutteefpoor
7 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Latifpur as ‘made strong from the singularity of its situation, being immersed in a thick wood of bamboos and other trees close to the foot of the ditch, and only one direct avenue to the fort, which might be secured by a few men, if resolutely defended.’
A View of the Fort of Bidjegur
29 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Vijaigarh as ‘situated at the top of a mountain, which is closed with wood from the plain below to almost its summit.’ His view of it—like those of the other forts in the region—contains no sign of the ongoing military operations that occasioned his visits. Instead, he depicts the forts in a ruinous state, and the surrounding forest areas.
A View of the Ruins of a Palace at Gazipoor on the River Ganges
4 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges passed through Ghazipur, located east of Benares, in early August 1781. The palace which caught his eye was not ancient, but it was in a state of disrepair; he described it as ‘a fine palace … raised on a high bank, and commanding two great reaches of the river.’
A View of part of the Fort of Lutteefpoor
7 October 1785
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Latifpur as ‘made strong from the singularity of its situation, being immersed in a thick wood of bamboos and other trees close to the foot of the ditch, and only one direct avenue to the fort, which might be secured by a few men, if resolutely defended.’
A View of the Fort of Bidjegur
29 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
Hodges describes the fort of Vijaigarh as ‘situated at the top of a mountain, which is closed with wood from the plain below to almost its summit.’ His view of it—like those of the other forts in the region—contains no sign of the ongoing military operations that occasioned his visits. Instead, he depicts the forts in a ruinous state, and the surrounding forest areas.
A View of the Mosque at Futtipoor Sicri
1 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
This view of the mosque at Fatehpur Sikri is taken from the south-east, showing both the outer face of the Buland Darwaza and the smaller Shahi Darwaza, or eastern entrance from the palace. From his account, Hodges evidently entered by the former: ‘The ascent from the foot of the hill is by a flight of broad steps, extending to the principal entrance, which is through a portal of great magnificence.’
A View of the Fort of Agra on the River Jumna
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
This view shows the eastern side of the fort, facing the river, seen from the north—apparently from a sandbank midstream. The silhouette of the Taj Mahal is visible in the distance, to the left. Hodges found Agra in a state of dilapidation, the city having declined following Shah Jahan’s removal of the court to Delhi.
A View of a Farm-Yard in the Kingdom of Bengal
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
During his travels, Hodges passed through numerous villages on the road, and frequently commented on the quality of cultivation and the living conditions of the people. This view shows a thakurbari or shrine in the centre, with ceramic votive offerings standing in front, by the trees; and a house to the right, with a raised chabutra in the veranda. This is one of the few purely rural scenes in this series.
A View of a Mosque at Mounheer
20 December 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
The principal building shown here is not a mosque, in fact, but a tomb—of the Sufi saint Makhdum Shah Daulat—though there is a small mosque in the same compound, which is visible to the left of this plate. The dargah was built in Maner in 1616 by one of the saint’s disciples, Ibrahim Khan Fath Jung, who was then serving Jahangir as governor of Bihar.
A View of the Mosque at Futtipoor Sicri
1 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
This view of the mosque at Fatehpur Sikri is taken from the south-east, showing both the outer face of the Buland Darwaza and the smaller Shahi Darwaza, or eastern entrance from the palace. From his account, Hodges evidently entered by the former: ‘The ascent from the foot of the hill is by a flight of broad steps, extending to the principal entrance, which is through a portal of great magnificence.’
A View of the Fort of Agra on the River Jumna
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
This view shows the eastern side of the fort, facing the river, seen from the north—apparently from a sandbank midstream. The silhouette of the Taj Mahal is visible in the distance, to the left. Hodges found Agra in a state of dilapidation, the city having declined following Shah Jahan’s removal of the court to Delhi.
A View of a Farm-Yard in the Kingdom of Bengal
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
During his travels, Hodges passed through numerous villages on the road, and frequently commented on the quality of cultivation and the living conditions of the people. This view shows a thakurbari or shrine in the centre, with ceramic votive offerings standing in front, by the trees; and a house to the right, with a raised chabutra in the veranda. This is one of the few purely rural scenes in this series.
A View of a Mosque at Mounheer
20 December 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
The principal building shown here is not a mosque, in fact, but a tomb—of the Sufi saint Makhdum Shah Daulat—though there is a small mosque in the same compound, which is visible to the left of this plate. The dargah was built in Maner in 1616 by one of the saint’s disciples, Ibrahim Khan Fath Jung, who was then serving Jahangir as governor of Bihar.
A View of the Mosque at Futtipoor Sicri
1 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
This view of the mosque at Fatehpur Sikri is taken from the south-east, showing both the outer face of the Buland Darwaza and the smaller Shahi Darwaza, or eastern entrance from the palace. From his account, Hodges evidently entered by the former: ‘The ascent from the foot of the hill is by a flight of broad steps, extending to the principal entrance, which is through a portal of great magnificence.’
A View of the Fort of Agra on the River Jumna
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
This view shows the eastern side of the fort, facing the river, seen from the north—apparently from a sandbank midstream. The silhouette of the Taj Mahal is visible in the distance, to the left. Hodges found Agra in a state of dilapidation, the city having declined following Shah Jahan’s removal of the court to Delhi.
A View of a Farm-Yard in the Kingdom of Bengal
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
During his travels, Hodges passed through numerous villages on the road, and frequently commented on the quality of cultivation and the living conditions of the people. This view shows a thakurbari or shrine in the centre, with ceramic votive offerings standing in front, by the trees; and a house to the right, with a raised chabutra in the veranda. This is one of the few purely rural scenes in this series.
A View of a Mosque at Mounheer
20 December 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
The principal building shown here is not a mosque, in fact, but a tomb—of the Sufi saint Makhdum Shah Daulat—though there is a small mosque in the same compound, which is visible to the left of this plate. The dargah was built in Maner in 1616 by one of the saint’s disciples, Ibrahim Khan Fath Jung, who was then serving Jahangir as governor of Bihar.
A View of the Mosque at Futtipoor Sicri
1 May 1786
12.5 x 18.5 in. / 31.8 x 47.0 cm.
This view of the mosque at Fatehpur Sikri is taken from the south-east, showing both the outer face of the Buland Darwaza and the smaller Shahi Darwaza, or eastern entrance from the palace. From his account, Hodges evidently entered by the former: ‘The ascent from the foot of the hill is by a flight of broad steps, extending to the principal entrance, which is through a portal of great magnificence.’
A View of the Fort of Agra on the River Jumna
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
This view shows the eastern side of the fort, facing the river, seen from the north—apparently from a sandbank midstream. The silhouette of the Taj Mahal is visible in the distance, to the left. Hodges found Agra in a state of dilapidation, the city having declined following Shah Jahan’s removal of the court to Delhi.
A View of a Farm-Yard in the Kingdom of Bengal
1 August 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
During his travels, Hodges passed through numerous villages on the road, and frequently commented on the quality of cultivation and the living conditions of the people. This view shows a thakurbari or shrine in the centre, with ceramic votive offerings standing in front, by the trees; and a house to the right, with a raised chabutra in the veranda. This is one of the few purely rural scenes in this series.
A View of a Mosque at Mounheer
20 December 1786
12.7 x 18.5 in. / 32.3 x 47.0 cm.
The principal building shown here is not a mosque, in fact, but a tomb—of the Sufi saint Makhdum Shah Daulat—though there is a small mosque in the same compound, which is visible to the left of this plate. The dargah was built in Maner in 1616 by one of the saint’s disciples, Ibrahim Khan Fath Jung, who was then serving Jahangir as governor of Bihar.
William Hodges (1744-97) was a pioneer in more ways than one. He was the first British landscape painter to visit India, and to portray scenery across the whole breadth of the Gangetic plain. As a writer, he gave the first detailed descriptions of numerous historic Indian buildings, and he theorised about the origins and evolution of Indian architectural design. His art illustrates his exploration into terrain which—in its breadth and scope—was at the time almost as unfamiliar to Indian as to Western eyes.
Having earlier sailed to the South Pacific with Captain Cook, in 1772-75, Hodges seized the chance to visit another region of British exploration and conquest. For nearly four years between 1780 and 1783, he lived and travelled in India, under the patronage of the first Governor General, Warren Hastings.
A View of Part of the City of Oud
A View of the Gate of the Caravan Serai at Raje Mahel
A View of the Fort of Gwalior from the N.W.
On returning to London, between 1785 and 1788, he published a series of 48 aquatints of Select Views in India, which he engraved himself (anticipating the later work of Thomas and William Daniell). In his prints, Hodges shows us temples and holy cities; ancient and modern forts; mosques, tombs and caravanserais; and even utilitarian structures such as bridges. These are set in varied landscapes from the hills of Bihar to the rivers of modern-day Uttar Pradesh.
In this exhibition—the first time a full set has been displayed together—the plates are arranged geographically. We travel with Hodges, westwards, from the colonial settlements of the Hooghly, upriver via Murshidabad and Rajmahal, through Benares and Allahabad, to Agra and Gwalior, while pausing at many less well-known places along the route. We travel back in time, two and a half centuries, to rediscover lost monuments and forgotten landscapes.
All 48 works are aquatint engravings, tinted with watercolour on paper.
A View of the Ruins of a Palace at Gazipoor on the River Ganges
