Banaras, one of the world's oldest living cities, has been a centre of spirituality, culture, and artistic inspiration for centuries. Located along the Ganges river in northern India, it has captivated artists for generations, each offering unique interpretations of the city.
The ‘Banaras: Imagined Landscape’ exhibition at DAG in Delhi, curated by Gayatri Sinha, traces the city’s artistic journey from the 18th century to today. Presented chronologically, the exhibition allows visitors to experience the evolution of artistic representations of Banaras from colonial-era portrayals from the 1700s to the present day.
Banaras through the Western lens
The first section, Occidental Vista, focuses on paintings from 1747 to 1947 by colonial artists who largely viewed Banaras through a romanticised and religious lens. Featuring works by William Hodges, James Prinsep, and Japanese artist Hiroshi Yoshida, this section presents oil paintings, etchings, and watercolours capturing the city's grand architecture and ghats.
Notable highlights include Erich Kips' 'Benares at the Golden Gate,' and Edwin Lord Weeks’ 'On the River Ganges' both showcasing the iconic ghats. The Western perspective often exoticized Banaras, emphasising its religious mystique rather than everyday life. As Ashish Anand, CEO and MD, DAG notes, “Most artists tended to paint the riverfront with the grand architecture looming over the ghats. Only a few ventured within the city itself, to paint life in the lanes that included the sacred as well as the secular.”
Beyond the colonial gaze
The second section Views From Within shifts to Indian artists who sought to reclaim Banaras from the exoticised Western narrative. Instead of grand religious imagery, they focused on daily life—the bustling markets, people at the ghats, and the city’s lived reality.
S. G. Thakar Singh’s 'Varanasi in the Morning' (1952) captures the vibrancy of locals at the river, while M. F. Husain’s 'Cremation' from his Varanasi series powerfully conveys the city's intimate connection with life and death. These works break away from colonial depictions, offering a more grounded and personal view of Banaras.
The final section, Photographic Journeys, examines how photography has documented Banaras since the mid-19th century. It includes works by Raghu Rai, who captured the 1975 Varanasi floods and portraits of the city’s Maharaja in 1986. Also featured are photographs by Nemai Ghosh, known for documenting filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s work, including behind-the-scenes moments from Joi Baba Felunath (1979).
Through these three sections, the exhibition offers a broad look at how Banaras has been perceived, interpreted, and represented over centuries.‘Banaras: Imagined Landscape’ illustrates how artistic interpretations of the city have evolved, yet its spiritual and cultural essence endures. As Anand notes, “No matter how much we modernise... the heart and soul of Banaras will never change.” Even as the ghats are restored and temples expanded, faith and devotion to Banaras persist, bridging centuries of history.
The exhibition is on view at DAG, Windsor Place, Janpath, till April 5.