The Ghat of Vishnoo Pud, Bénarès

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

The Ghat of Vishnoo Pud, Bénarès is a 1866 by Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet, a Impressionism work, 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 the Ganges River, crowded with people bathing, praying, and washing clothes at dawn. Rousselet drew this scene while traveling in India—one of the first French artists to work there. He later learned photography to better record what he saw, blending drawing and early photos in his books. For more of his India sketches, look up Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet (French, 1845–1929).

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.