How foreign painters portrayed India on their canvas

India is a treasure trove of art and culture. Name a field and India has at least one master from that genre. Be it dance, music, martial arts, architecture, painting, and whatnot! And so, it is no surprise that foreigners have always been fascinated with India and the beauty it holds. Foreign painters have painted the essence of India on their canvas, showing scenes ranging from majestic architecture to everyday life.
Here we list 5 beautiful paintings by foreign artists of India.

Edwin Lord Weeks was a famous American artist and is known for his Orientalist paintings, which often featured India. From the Ghats of Banaras to the monuments of India, Weeks beautifully painted it all.
In this painting, Weeks takes his audience to the ghats of Varanasi, where devotees bathe in the sacred Ganga water and colourful boats are rowing around. Weeks' attention to detail and use of light and shadow give the painting a sense of realism and makes India look beautiful and sacred in every spot.

(Image: Pinterest)

John Gleich was a German landscape painter, known for his Orientalist paintings and was inspired by the beauty of the Ganga. In ‘Along the Ganges’, he paints a peaceful and serene view of rural India, with greenery all around, the calm Ganga flowing through, and 4 women on the ghat premises. Through his very soft palette and light brush techniques, Gleich beautifully paints the serene and sacred Ganga.

(Image: Pinterest)

Edward Clifford was a British artist who was mesmerised by the royal beauty of India’s wonder, Taj Mahal. In his work, Clifford paints the iconic monument in all its splendour, its white marble glowing in the clear blue sky, and the greenery around the scene really makes the white marble pop out. Through the well-thought of architectural details, Clifford gives the painting the perfect effect, and shows the world why Taj Mahal is one of the ‘Wonders of the World’.

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One of the most beautiful paintings of the list is Vasili Vasilyevich’s ‘The Mosque of Fatehpur Sikri’. Vasili was a Russian painter and beautifully painted the architectural wonders of India. In this striking painting, he shows the majestic architecture of the Fatehpur mosque and does so with such beauty and precision, that the talent and painting is unmatched. The detailed carvings, the colours he infused in the painting, and the very realistic depiction of the people admiring the structure is amazing to say the least.
Vasili’s composition of the ‘The Mosque of Fatehpur Sikri’ is painted with such brilliance that it looks almost like a realistic photograph rather than a painting.

(Image: Pinterest)