HODGES, WILLIAM; R.A. (1744-1797)
SELECT VIEWS IN INDIA
DRAWN ON THE SPOT, IN THE YEARS 1780, 1781, 1782, AND 1783, AND EXECUTED IN AQUATINT.The first-ever printed depiction of the Taj Mahal appears in this volume of aquatint views of India.
Year: 1787
Size: 58 x 43.2 cm (22.8 x 17 inches)
Printed for the author, and sold by J. Edwards 1787., Imperial folio. (58 x 43 cm). Title and text in English and French.
No. of Illustrations: 48 Hand Colored Aquatint Plates
48 aquatint plates, printed in two or more colors, all hand-colored heightened with gum arabic to resemble watercolors by and after William Hodges. With the map of the Ganges, Jumna, etc. which is very rare to find in this copy.
BINDING: Contemporary red straight grained morocco gilt probably by Staggemeir & Welcher, covers with elaborate gilt border, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, gilt turn-ins, marbled end papers, gilt edges, skill-full 19th century re-backing, preserving original binding, neat repairs to corners, modern tan cloth box, tan morocco lettering piece.
A fine copy of the very rare hand-colored issue of Hodge's pioneering work on the architectural and picturesque wonders of India.
One of greatest of all color-plate books, in a fine binding by the most fashionable London binders of the time.
This work, the main fruit of Hodges six year stay in India, was published with 48 aquatint plates (made by the new process of aquatint) in three separate forms: uncolored, uncolored proofs or with the plates hand colored to resemble the original drawings as here. The images were printed lightly in a single operation using two (sepia and blue) or more colors applied where desired to a single plate, these prints were then colored by hand (probably by Hodges himself) with great freedom but with careful attention being paid to achieving a depth of color and shading only possible through the repeated over-painting of contrasting pigments. The results are in a different class to some of the more pedestrian mass-produced works of the period and have all the idiosyncratic vibrancy of the original watercolors. Hodges preserved the atmosphere freshness and spontaneity of his original sketches which were made on the spot. Its appearance would have caused a sensation, as nothing of the scenery of India on this scale had been seen before (Humboldt cited the Hodges views as one the inducements which led him to travel). Accompanying text with each plate, though generally brief, gives a history of each site, together with an account of contemporary events in which the site had been involved. The book was dedicated to The Honorable The Chairman, The Deputy Chairman, and the rest of the Directors of the honorable the United East-India Company.
Provenance : Collection of a Gentleman
About Artist
William Hodges (1744 - 1797)
William Hodges was an English painter who trained under William Shipley and Richard Wilson spending his early career painting theatrical sceneries. In 1772, he was appointed a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean and is best…...Read More
Excellent Condition
| Nickname | Amount(Rs) | Type | Date & Time(IST) | |
| 1 | anon0262 | 7920000.00 | Regular | 26-03-2025 07:03:03 PM IST |