The Ghat of Dasaswa Medh, Bénarès

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Allahabad

Dominant colour

The Ghat of Dasaswa Medh, Bénarès is a 1866 by Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet, a Impressionism work, depicting Allahabad, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet
When & what style?: 1866 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see stone steps leading down to a river, crowded with people in bright clothes washing, praying, and talking. Rousselet drew this scene while traveling in India. He worried his sketches weren’t good enough, so he learned photography there—fast. This painting feels like a snapshot, full of real life. To see how photography changed art, look up *The Cleveland Museum of Art*.

The story of this work

Overview

Concerned that his drawings did not do justice to the splendor of India’s monuments, Rousselet learned photography in India that year, a remarkable accomplishment. He proved to be a talented photographer with a sophisticated sense of composition. The scenes in this volume sweep across sites of Sultanate, Rajput, and Mughal power in northern India, from the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi on the Ganges River to Alwar in Rajasthan. Also included are several scenes of industry and portraits of Indian rulers.