The Ghat of Madhoray, Bénarès

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Allahabad

Dominant colour

The Ghat of Madhoray, 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 washing clothes, praying, or just sitting in the sun. The water is brown, the light is golden, and the buildings in the background look old and crumbly. Rousselet drew this scene while traveling in India, but he wasn’t happy with just sketches. He taught himself photography there, using the new tool to record the places he visited. The mix of drawing and early photography makes his work feel like a bridge between two ways of seeing. If you like this quiet, detailed style, look up *sfumato*—a soft-blending technique that creates a similar hazy glow.

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.