Capturing the beauty of Benares

People marvelling at the beauty of life, boats gently bobbing in water, and pandits immersed in deep prayers – a new exhibition, ‘The Orientalists’ Benares’, by DAG art gallery for the Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2024, features serene scenes from Benares as depicted by foreign artists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Fifteen stunning paintings capture the sublime splendour of the ancient city, bringing them to life and showcasing the transcendental beauty of Benaras to patrons, more than a century after they were first painted. The city, its bustling riverside ghats, and the accompanying ritualistic fervour have been an inspiration to artists since time immemorial, and these images are just an example of the timelessness of the holy city.

A muse to many

Benares was always home to pioneering artists who came in search of picturesque views of architecture and landscapes. Other artists who followed were more interested in people and society, and scenes of everyday life, than in monuments. While the British landscape painters Thomas Daniell and his nephew, William, and the famous epigraphist James Prinsep arrived in India at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, respectively, Orientalists like the Dutch Marius Bauer, the Belgian-born Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès, the German Erich Kips, and the Austrian Ludwig Fischer, among others, visited the subcontinent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Their paintings featured in the exhibition were either created while they were in India or in the years following their visit. These artists used various mediums such as oil, watercolour, and even printing techniques like lithographs and woodblocks. In this selection of works, one encounters a host of artistic depictions of Benares, as seen through the eyes of artists who were either intent on documenting its cityscapes or capturing its essence in renditions that reflect a more personal engagement.

Giles Tillotson, Senior VP of Exhibitions at DAG, notes, “Early artists like the Daniells came at a time when the city was relatively unexplored by foreigners. Their works, mostly created from drawings made on the spot, are attempts to capture the architecture and landscapes in their likeness as a way of visually documenting the city. While their settings do include people, the focus remains on the monuments.”

The artists who followed them in the second half of the nineteenth century were arriving at a widely popular tourist destination. Images of the city’s architecture and riverside ghats were now far too common, and there was a need to find newer ways of depicting the city. These artists, who came from different parts of the world, were more interested in people, society, and scenes of everyday life than in monuments. Their exotic representations of the city include a more romantic setting.

Each of the visiting artists interpreted the ancient city in their own signature style. While Daniell depicts Benares’ bustling riverside ghats from across the waters, James Prinsep in Benares Illustrated shows the city as a centre for Hindu learning through a series of drawings along with descriptive notes. Paintings by artists like Ludwig Hans Fischer and Marius Bauer add to the allure of a city characterized by a ritualistic fervour through sublime representations of the ghats with ascetics performing rituals.

A peek into the past

These artists were stylistically varied and possessed a unique aesthetic sensibility reflected in their works. While some worked in the picturesque tradition, others like the Orientalists Jean Le Mayeur and Marius Bauer experimented with impressionistic and romantic styles. Giles Tillotson adds, “If one looks at these images of the city’s riverside ghats, one will notice that while the early artists were more focused on depicting the landscapes in their exact likeness, paying close attention to details, the ones who followed were not interested in the exact locations but rather the present mood created by the atmosphere or the people. They are often characterized by the use of fluidity, colour, and light.”

The representation of India through the eyes of Western artists, especially during the colonial period, has been a subject of intrigue and exploration. Early artists who explored India nearing the turn of the nineteenth century were instrumental in shaping a perception of the country and its various cities for Western audiences. Hence, this collection is relevant as it not only captures the artistic responses to the city of Benares over the span of one and a half centuries but also reminds us that India during this period was seen through various lenses. Bringing together some of the finest works of foreign artists, the collection is another tribute to the city of Benares, which has shaped the collective consciousness of our country for time immemorial.

The exhibition will be held from 11-14 January 2024 at DAG, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.