A View of Tombs at Gazipoor 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).

Hodges visited Gazipoor in August 1781 during his second excursion up river through Bengal and Bihar, in the company of Warren Hastings, en route to Benares. Hodges wrote 'About two miles inland from the river are the remains of the seraii and, nearly adjoining, tombs, built at the same time as the palace. Those buildings are in a fine state of Moorish architecture, and in very good repair'. Travels in India during the years 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783.

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.8. 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 PR000037 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, drawn and engraved by Hodges. Pubd. as the Act directs, 6th Octr. 1785, by J. Wells, No.22, Charing-Cross. Approx. 360 x 517mm. (14 x 20ins).