View of the Mosque at Mounheer, from the S.E. from Select Views in India.

Drawn on the spot, in the years 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783 published London [1785-1788] by Hodges, William (1744-1797).

Select Views in India... was a pioneering work on the architectural and picturesque splendours of India. It was the result of Hodges' lengthy stay, travelling around India, under Warren Hasting's patronage. Hodges had previously travelled as the artist on Captain Cook's second voyage to Antarctica. Between 1785 and 1794, twenty- five of his oils on India were exhibited at the Royal Academy. Prideaux mentioned that Humboldt's desire to travel was directly inspired by Hodges' Indian views. The plates were published in three separate forms: uncoloured, uncoloured proofs or hand-coloured to resemble the original drawings. Hodges visited Mounheer in the summer of 1781 while staying in Patna - his second trip through Bihar in the company of Warren Hastings. He was clearly impressed by its architectural beauty and wrote 'This building, though not large, is certainly very beautiful: it is square, with pavilions rising from the angles..'. Travels in India during the years 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783.

Abbey Travel 416 no.18. J.R. Abbey, Travel in aquatint and lithography 1770-1860 from the library of J.R. Abbey: a bibliographical catalogue. London, 1957.

This plate and items PR000038 and PR000039, also by Hodges, were in the collection of the distinguished scholars, William and Mildred Archer - William Archer, former Keeper Emeritus of the Indian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum; Mildred Archer, former Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the India Office Library.

Lithograph printed in sepia with original hand-colour. From the rare large paper copy, almost certainly coloured by Hodges himself. Publish'd Jany. 1st 1787 by Wells. No. 22 Charing Cross. Wide margins. Approx. 443 x 586mm. (17 x 23ins).