A Tale of Two Visions: How Two English Artists Captured the Taj Mahal and the Evolution of Colonial-Era Art
Renditions of the Taj Mahal by, from left, WOJ Nieuwenkamp, 1915, Erich Kips (centre above) and Charles William Bartlett, 1916 and 1919. | Courtesy DAG.
The Taj Mahal, a symbol of eternal love and architectural brilliance, has been the subject of fascination for centuries. Among those captivated by its beauty were two English artists, Edward Lear and William Hodges, who visited the monument a century apart. Their artistic interpretations of the Taj Mahal not only highlight their unique perspectives but also reflect the broader shifts in the art of the colonial era. This blog explores how their depictions of the Taj Mahal reveal the changing attitudes of British artists towards India, from the Enlightenment-driven documentation of the 18th century to the more subjective, personal interpretations of the Victorian age.
“Entrée de Kandy, Ceylon” (Entrance to Kandy, Ceylon), by Maurice Levis, courtesy DAG.
William Hodges: The Enlightenment's Eye
William Hodges was the first professional British landscape painter to visit the Taj Mahal in 1783. His approach to capturing the monument was deeply rooted in the Enlightenment ideals of his time. Hodges’s work was meticulous, measured, and focused on the architectural grandeur of the Taj. In his detailed descriptions, Hodges emphasised the mathematical precision, geometric forms, and symmetry of the structure. His goal was to introduce this architectural marvel to a British audience that had never seen images of the Taj Mahal before.
Hodges’s depiction of the Taj Mahal was part of a broader project to document and study India’s historical sites. This effort was driven by a desire to understand and categorise the civilizations of the East through a Western lens. For Hodges, the Taj Mahal was not just a building but a subject of scholarly inquiry, a monument whose beauty and magnificence could only be fully appreciated through careful observation and documentation.
The British Residency, Lucknow, by Edward Lear, 1873, courtesy DAG.
Edward Lear: The Victorian's Brush
In stark contrast to Hodges, Edward Lear’s visit to the Taj Mahal in 1874 was characterised by a different approach. By Lear’s time, the Taj Mahal was no longer an unknown entity to the British; it had become a well-known icon. For Lear, the challenge was not to document the architecture but to capture the vibrant life and colours surrounding the monument.
Lear’s journal entries from his visit to the Taj Mahal are filled with vivid descriptions of the garden, the brightly dressed visitors, and the colourful flora and fauna. He was less interested in the architectural details of the Taj and more captivated by the scene’s overall atmosphere. Lear’s depiction of the Taj Mahal as a backdrop to the lively, colourful environment around it reflects the Victorian era’s shift toward more personal and subjective artistic interpretations.
Lear’s dismissal of the architecture as “altogether Indian” and his focus on the “gorgeously dressed and be-ringed women” and the “live emeralds” of the green parrots flitting across the scene suggest a departure from the Enlightenment’s objective gaze. His approach was more about capturing the essence of the experience rather than meticulously documenting the structure.
Edward Lear, 1812-1888, British, Benares, 1873. Credit: in public domain, Yale Center for British Art, Gift of Michael D. Coe, Yale MAH 1968, B2007.18.1.
The Evolution of Colonial-Era Art
The contrasting approaches of Hodges and Lear to the Taj Mahal are emblematic of a broader shift in colonial-era art. In the late 18th century, artists like Hodges were engaged in a project to reveal India’s historical and architectural wonders to a Western audience. This was part of a larger Enlightenment-driven effort to study and categorise the world.
By the time Lear visited India in the 19th century, the relationship between Britain and India had changed significantly. The Taj Mahal, once a distant and exotic monument, had become a familiar symbol. British artists were no longer just documentarians; they were interpreters, bringing their personal perspectives to bear on the scenes they encountered. Lear’s work, with its emphasis on colour, life, and personal impressions, reflects this shift.
This evolution in artistic approach is also evident in the way these artists engaged with other Indian sites. For example, Lear was critical of earlier depictions of Benares by artists like Thomas Daniell, whom he accused of failing to capture the vibrant reality of the city. Lear’s disdain for Daniell’s “pallid, grey, sad, solemn” views underscores his preference for a more vivid and dynamic portrayal of Indian life.
“The Taje Mahel, Agra”, by Thomas and William Daniell, 1801. Credit: in public domain, via Library of Congress.
The Changing Gaze
The Taj Mahal, as seen through the eyes of William Hodges and Edward Lear, tells a story of changing attitudes and artistic approaches in colonial-era art. Hodges’s work represents the Enlightenment’s objective, scholarly gaze, while Lear’s art reflects the Victorian era’s more personal and subjective interpretation. Their contrasting depictions of the Taj Mahal highlight the evolution of British engagement with India, from the pursuit of knowledge and documentation to a more intimate, individualised experience of the subcontinent.
As we look back on their work, we see not just two different visions of the Taj Mahal but also a broader narrative of how art and the role of the artist evolved during the colonial era. The shift from documenting the exotic to interpreting the familiar mirrors the changing dynamics of the British presence in India and offers us a deeper understanding of how cultural interactions were reflected in the art of the time.