George Chinnery

A group of men bathe in the river Ganges while the ruins of a domed building emerge from a thicket on the riverbank. The sunset sets the sky ablaze with purple and golden light. George Chinnery, an English artist in British-occupied India, executed numerous watercolors inspired by his travels in the country’s northern regions. He boldly blended warm yellows and browns with cool purples and blues to visualize this glimmering scene. More an idealized evocation than the documentation of a real place, this watercolor emphasizes light, a dreamlike mood, and picturesque detail.