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William Hodges, The Ghats at Benares, 1787

• Most famous painting. Allowed him to become part of the Royal Academy.
• Most of his works are taken around the Ganges River region due to his northern travels. City known as Varanasi today. Holy city where Hindus travel to be cremated. 
• Benares deemed as a "place little affected by European or Mughal presence." Seen as sacred center for Hinduism. In terms of layout, practices, and layout. 
• Ghats – steps leading into the Ganges. Steps can lead into palaces, residences, Hindu temples, & other structures created along Ganges river. 
• Traveling along Ganges, people doing various activities. Hodges thought these activities were extremely interesting. 
• Very crowded city due to limited land around the river. Limited change in architecture. Perfect for ideas of the picturesque. Reflective surfaces allowed to play w/ light conditions. Interesting buildings. Made up oak trees lol. Became accustomed to the environmental features of India and how it was different from damp, ugly GB.
• Work shows that he has been influenced by Italian artists of this time. Italians were painting reflections in Venice. Hodges wanted to remain in conventions of the day. Crispness of painting influenced by subtlety of light, but also by Italians. Italians painted boat scenes as well. 

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William Hodges, A View of the Great Pagoda at Tanjore, from Select Views in India, Drawn on the Spot, in the Years 1780, 1781, 1782, and 1783 (published 1786)

• Hodges' landscapes get recognized & he gets paid as professional artist to accompany Cook & document the terrain. Also known for works of documenting people.
• Most impressed w/ light & climatic condition of lands he travels to. Develops thesis on architecture & environment on the effects of creativity of a person. 
• Dramatic use of light & dark are s/t that breaks away from Wilson's teaching.
• Tonal harmonies, composition in general, prolific oak tree, are used to demonstrate skill. Picturesque aesthetic. The beautiful isn't trending anymore. 

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William Hodges, View of Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, from A Dissertation on the Prototypes of Architecture, Hindoo, Moorish, and Gothic, 1787

• Greco-Roman architecture considered highest form of architecture. Anything not following those conventions were not considered worthy of study & lesser civilizations.
• Hodges didn't see these as lesser forms. Argued them as different and important in their own rights.  

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Thomas & William Daniell, Ruins of the Palace of Tirumala, Madurai, 1798 from Oriental Scenery, 1795-08

• Uncle and nephew team who begin their India travels shortly after Hodges. Very interested in this as a commercial enterprise. Saw how successful Hodges' travels and paintings were. Traveled to many of the same place as Hodges did, but didn't give him enough credit
• Sight that becomes politically important when the FR are finally defeated. 
• Have the craggy rocks, grazing cattle, and rounded forms of temples. Rounded forms have a little more aesthetic of the beautiful, but good blending the picturesque. Have essence of Daniells actually being there. 
• Early use of the camera obscura. 

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Thomas & William Daniell, Elephanta, from Antiquities of India, 1800

• Published book featuring prints of "cave temples." 
• Had people in the caves to show a sense of scale in order to represent accuracy
• Once again focused on forms that were similar to Greco-Roman temples

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Tilly Kettle, Muhammad Ali Khan, Nawab of Arcot, 1772-76

• Kettle ws EU artist who came to India to paint portraits for the GB and Indian elite
• Formula for portraiture is apparent. You have subject leaning against a structure that are evocative of Greco-roman architecture. Showed status of culture & high civilization. Portraits of elites that own a lot of land. These elites typically had lots of land that had Greco-roman shit fabricated there so they could look at it and seem cultured. 
• Often had turbulent sky for interest & to stimulate the optic nerve. Picturesque. Heavy drapery to show signs of wealth. 
• Foliage shows no indication of India. But palette is warmer and less cool, warmth of Indian climate.
• Southern rulers of India. Shows pattern of travel of landing in Madras and then moving north. While Kettle is in Madras, getting commissioned by Indian rulers. 
• Muhammad Ali Khan very interested in English & EU culture. Benefited from this relationship financially. Interested in GB life & other ways of demonstrating his elite status. Hired Kettle to make several portraits of him and his sons. 
• Elaborate jewels and headdress is very interesting. GB people had a lot of interest in Indian wealth. Possibly fabricated architecture. But might be real bc he was interested in the west.

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Tilly Kettle, Shuja ud-Daula, Nawab of Oudh, 1771

• Bit of a colder climate in the NE bc of his furs. Furs also reflective of his wealth. Not paying for a full length photo. But also commissioned Kettle for a number of portraits. 
• ¾ view of the subject. Lots of detail in the garments. Leaning on some sort of weapon to present status of ruler. 
• Column on the left & parapet is less descriptive, but still part of the formula. He didn't know how to deal w/ the Indian forms of architecture. 

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Johann Zoffany, Col. Antoine Polier with his friends, Claude Martin, John Wombell and the Artist, 1786-7

• Zoffany includes himself in this painting, as per usual. Includes painting of banyan tree that becomes icon of Indian landscape. This soon started replacing the oak. Tree has lots of significant. Primordial & weird bc it's a single tree w/ lots of aerial roots coming down. In India, trees form shelters in places that people need. Indian sadhus often wandering this forest & has spiritual significance. 
• Presents Indian temples and other pieces of Indian landscape in paintings in the background. Requisite elephant taking a bath as an icon of Indian. Other landscapes that contain lots of people that shows behaviors, customs, some strange manners. 
• Polier is Swiss engineer who comes to India to make money. Enjoys India & stays there for a number of years and has Indian wives. Learns a number of languages and collects manuscripts. Collection of manuscripts & paintings are disseminated into various museum collections across the world today. 
• Martin is FR guy who is here to obtain land & set up monopolies. 
• Wombell is EIC man & one of accountants of EIC. 
• Ape that isn't native India raises a lot of debate. Mimicking gestures of the people in the portrait. Shows idea of man's folly and reflects idea of desires/aggressions to get what they want. 

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Dip Chand, Portrait of John Wombell, ca. 1780s

• Company school painter
• Indian artists fully capable of producing naturalistic artwork. Western interest in naturalism where we can identify the sitter through his physiognomy. 
• Shading on chair, perspective in floor, shadows under chair show capability of naturalism. 
• Wombell is shown in profile to show status. Indian garb and water pipe shown luxury. Indian servant w/ peacock fan to circulate air & whisk away insects. Presented on carpet, which is typical. Tapestry hung in bg to create framing device. 
• Rulers depicted always in profile, which some sense of naturalism. Indications of royalty such as weapons. Usually strict profile is what identified ruler. 
• Most rulers given a divine status as well. Halo always depicted in traditional. If weapons not shown, thrones, parasols, and other indications of wealth shown. Shelter. Carpets, use of gold leaf. Background isn't important. Usually strict color fields or small indications of land.

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Dip Chand, Dr. William Fullerton, ca. 1760

• Completely different style. Portrait also wanted to reflect Indian conventions of royalty. Water pipes, servants, parapet, carpets being lifted, client shown in profile. Traditional cannons of portraiture. 
• Showed that Chand was capable of doing both traditional Indian art and naturalistic work

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A Snake Charmer and his Wife, Trichy, ca. 1850

• subjects that are popular and meant to be sold at bazaars. Become sort of souvenir, memento market for these things.
• Wanted to show scenes of Hindu deity processions, ritual practices. Wanted to show ideas of the sublime and unusually. Devotees were shown walking across hot coals as a way to show their physical devotion to the deity. Hook swinging (inserting hooks into back flesh and swinging around) was shown too. Interested EU bc of the idea of the macabre. 

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 Tirumala Nayak's Palace, Madurai, ca. 1825

• Important of photography arose in India, photography used as a sense of imperial tourism and souvenirs authenticating experience
• Museumization of India – preservation and documentation of monuments.
• Photograph shows interest in Greco-Roman similarities of columns & arches.

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Samuel Bourne, View in Zojji-La Pass [Kashmir], 1864

• Bourne traveled around India w/ a group of coulees (locals) and was interested in the idea of the picturesque. Elements of beauty, grandeur that is hidden into the mountains of the north.  
• Artist w/ eye for things that are commercially successful. Comes in 1860s and stays about 7-8 years and sets up studio in Calcutta. Selling prints to a GB audience. 
• The Sublime is when one is overwhelmed by the majesty around you. Somehow god is invoked in this as the main creator. Borne ends up eliminating completely the idea of foreground/background.
• Included commentary about the scene. Wanted to convey sense of being overwhelmed but reflected upon god as beneficent power creating this world.

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Francis Frith & Co., The Taj Mahal, Agra, and the Tomb of Akbar, Sikandra, ca. 1870-75

• Primarily circulated in book form. Photographs were thought to be able to substitute for the real experience of visiting the site.
• Usually get juxtaposition of monument w/ important people living near the site. Capturing idea of Taj but through the lens of GB residency & occupation. 
• Photographs could be used as a visual journey through the monument.
• Albums organized in ways where you would geographically see what monuments next. You could follow albums as itinerary. Post cards were ways of authenticating your experience of actually being there

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Felice Beato, Ruins of the Sikander Bagh Palace, Lucknow, Showing the Skeletal Remains of Sepoy Rebels in the Foreground, 1858

• Mutiny becomes idea that India are abusers that rose up against GB where GB had to "secure" their own livelihood
• Had remains dug up and left there for theatrical purposes. Wanted people to believe that this is how people existed in India. Dramatized the GB victory in India. 

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Orr and Barton, Gate in the Fort at Srirangapattana where Tipu Sultan was Killed, ca. 1880

• Photographers also traveled to south and took photos of this decisive victory. Demonized Indian people and showed that any other EU forces would be defeated as well.
• Wasn't actual place. Just needed physical reminder of some sort of event. 
• Fueled by interest in sultan and to pinpoint areas of decisive defeats of the evil Indians who wanted to limit GB engagement. 
• Tipu Sultan was fascinating figure that had books published about it. Had wooden toy made of tiger mauling GB man bc he hated them and sided w/ the FR. Tiger was symbol of Sultan. Tiger motifs found on clothing, weaponry, architecture. Mechanized so that arm of GB would raise and the man would groan. Pipe organ is built into the other side. Sent to London & prominently displayed in EIC office where people flock to see. 

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John Burke, Ruins of a Temple at Norwah, 1868

• Ruler is shown in the photo to allow for scale. Recognized that more of the temple needed to be excavated bc there was important value in this monument. 
• Had to be a stop of pilfering of sites bc they found interesting and unique things. Had to be defended from vandals so that they could be studied. 

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Charles Shepherd, Casting Operation in the Courtyard of the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque, Delhi, 1870

• casting operations are done instead of taking the monuments. Reproductions would be sent to London in order to be studied. 
• 1888 – Treasure Trove Act: the issue of "movable antiquities." Focus shifts from excavation to conservation – notion of "safe custody." Idea that if it was movable antiquity, it NEEDED to come to Calcutta. Argument was for its safekeeping. Tensions remain between in situ conservation work & transporting architectural remains to the museum. 
• Believed that if things were left to their own accord in India that it would fall to ruin. Taxidermy was extremely interesting. Question rose of how would they engage a large Indian audience. 
• Creation of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1861 w/ the Director-General Alexander Cunningham. 
• Controversy bc India is very large and items could've been taken out of context of places in an attempt to be preserved. Question was what we do w/ the physical object. ASI said leave it on site, but museum said if there was certain value that it needed to be relocated to museums.

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M.V. Dhurandhar, Aphrodite of Knidos, ca. 1880s

• Grew up in big suburb outside of Bombay & could afford tuition. Saw academy as beneficial to his life. Created illustrations for post cards & other publications. 
• He is a positive statement for the academy. 
• Saw value in taking students to an ancient Buddhist site and took some classes there. Wasn't really in Buddhist narrative, but interested in ceiling w/ decorative motifs.
• 4 Types of Drawing – freehand, memory, geometrical, & drawing from models
• Anatomy lessons were given to advanced students, but antique casts were preferred to the nude model (which was avoided as much as possible). 

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M.V. Dhurandhar, Fisherwoman, ca. 1880s

• Clothes shown as a designation of status of laborer. Allows for analysis of the female form. Very naturalistic.
• Dhurandar was one of the few artists w/ access to female models. Not teaching indigenous Indian paintings of small watercolors, but rather oils on canvas. 
• Inspired by not exact copies, but used as inspiration. Fisherwoman pic by John Griffiths used as practice for perspective.  Shows the role of the prof's drawing in order to express & inform. 

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G.K. Mhatre, To the Temple, 1896

• More of a poster boy for the success of the Indian school. Was a skilled sculpture. In many ways, was annoying student for Griffiths bc started off as painting student, but snuck off and did his own thing as a sculptor. 
• When finally confronted about poor attendance, presented this sculpture and blew everyone away. 
• Subject of attractive of women coming from the temple had romantization of idea. Act of devotion was suitable as topic. Subject was appealing bc it was Indian enough, but able to show her in a way that was classically inspiring. 
• Heralded as the best piece of sculpture to ever be done in India. 

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Raja Ravi Varma, Durga, 1898

• Considered the first modern Indian artist. Was very wealthy & grew up w/ a family of artists. Generally talked about as a self-taught artist bc he didn't widely get training through academy. 
• Learnt painting from Theodore Jensen, a EU court artist. Although he followed western oil on canvas techniques & light/shade techniques for the first time in India, he chose subject themes from Hindu mythology. 
• Introduced large bright areas of color in his portraits & landscapes.
• Major representation of Hindu gods/goddesses that aren't just illuminated texts. Presented her in very humanlike ways. Standing and holding weapons in more innocent ways, but they are dealing w/ war & peace. Arrow, branch of palm leaf, animal goad and snare in upper hands.
• Goddess of liberation & generally presented multi-armed w/ a lion or tiger. Goddess of victory & has many arms in order to wield all of the weapons from the main male gods to defeat this demon that the male gods hadn't been able to. Shape-shifting demon that took a different incarnation after every death. Finally defeated him after he left his form of water buffalo, the Indian symbol of death.
• Durga is seen as the liberator from the cycle of life & death, the ultimate goal in Hinduism. 
• Varma was a first to present her in a more humanlike, less divinely aggressive way. Depicted w/ 2 lions which is interesting bc second one could be representative for GB.

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Raja Ravi Varma, Shakuntala's Impending Calamity, 1901

• Born thru the consummation of mother (semi-divine) and a great sage (known for his celibacy). 
• Shakuntala is left in the forest & is picked up by another sage, so she grows up not know anything about his parents. Ultimately he meets a great king going thru the forest during a hunting expedition, and they fall in love at first sight. They marry & the king promises to return to her, but he never returns. 
• In the background there is a well-known sage that's coming to visit the shrine, but she kinda forgets he's coming and she irritates him. He curses her that the king will never remember her. She travels to the kingdom to try and find him, but disheartened he doesn't remember. Ultimately the ring the king gave her is returned to him & he remembers her & brings her back to the kingdom.
• Another popular tale of Indian mythology. Varma based this off of the play