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Lot Essay
Albert Goodwin, an ardent follower of Joseph Mallord William Turner, first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London at the age of 15 in 1860 with a canvas entitled Under The Hedge. In the 1860s he was a student of Arthur Hughes and Ford Madox Brown and was later introduced to Arthur Severn by Ruskin during a trip to Italy in 1872. Goodwin traveled widely in Europe, India, Egypt and the South Sea Islands. In this sale there are three lots by Goodwin depicting India (lots 26, 26A and 27) and three depicting Egypt (lots 70, 70A and 72). Goodwin became a full member of the Old Watercolour Society in 1881 and as Hardie states, 'he can be counted as one of those who have successfully dealt with twilight and sunset'. Goodwin 'experimented with methods of sponging and stippling and was one of the first to use a pen-line in combination with watercolor wash. His early work was at first in oil, but later was almost entirely in watercolor.' (C. Wood, Victorian Painters, Suffolk, 1995, vol. 1, p. 200).
The present painting depicts a view of the coastline of Varanasi (Benares) with some of this holy city's most important Hindu and Muslim temples forming a monumental façade. The vantage point of the present lot is from the north looking south on the Ganga river with the Great Mosque of Auranzeb and its pair of soaring minarets towering the Vishwanath Temple and Manikarnika Ghat in the far background.
Varanasi (also known as Benares, Banaras, Benaras, Kashi, and Kasi) is a Hindu holy city on the banks of the river Ganga (Ganges) in the modern north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims and the Vatican to Catholic Christians. Varanasi has a unique culture, quite different from other places in the region. This culture has developed through thousands of years during which it has been one of the major cultural centers of northern India. The whole Varanasi culture revolves around the river Ganga, which is the heart and soul of the city. Varanasi, with its own style of classical Indian music called Gharanas, has produced some of the best known musicians, philosophers, poets, and writers in Indian history. The city even has its own dialect different from other dialects of the region. It has been a seat of knowledge from about 700 B.C. onwards and its universities attracted students from all over the then-known world.
The present painting depicts a view of the coastline of Varanasi (Benares) with some of this holy city's most important Hindu and Muslim temples forming a monumental façade. The vantage point of the present lot is from the north looking south on the Ganga river with the Great Mosque of Auranzeb and its pair of soaring minarets towering the Vishwanath Temple and Manikarnika Ghat in the far background.
Varanasi (also known as Benares, Banaras, Benaras, Kashi, and Kasi) is a Hindu holy city on the banks of the river Ganga (Ganges) in the modern north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims and the Vatican to Catholic Christians. Varanasi has a unique culture, quite different from other places in the region. This culture has developed through thousands of years during which it has been one of the major cultural centers of northern India. The whole Varanasi culture revolves around the river Ganga, which is the heart and soul of the city. Varanasi, with its own style of classical Indian music called Gharanas, has produced some of the best known musicians, philosophers, poets, and writers in Indian history. The city even has its own dialect different from other dialects of the region. It has been a seat of knowledge from about 700 B.C. onwards and its universities attracted students from all over the then-known world.