Imagine seeing India for the very first time.
Not through a photograph, a travel documentary, a postcard, or a social media post—but through a hand-coloured print created over two centuries ago. For countless people in Britain and Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century, India was not a place they could easily visit. Their first visual encounter with its magnificent forts, bustling riverfronts, ancient temples, grand Mughal monuments, and dramatic landscapes came through the extraordinary aquatints of Thomas and William Daniell. Today, these images are far more than works of art; they are windows into a lost world.
View taken on the Esplanade
The Council House, Calcutta
Part of the City of Patna on the river Ganges
Many of the structures depicted in these prints no longer exist. Others have been extensively restored, remodelled, or engulfed by modern development, losing much of their original character. As a result, the aquatints have acquired immense historical significance. They preserve details of architecture, landscapes, and urban life that might otherwise have been lost forever, making them invaluable records for historians, architects, conservationists, and travellers alike.
The Chalees Satoon in the fort of Allahabad on the river Jumna
Near Currah on the river Ganges
This is what makes “Vision and Landscape: Aquatints of India”, presented by DAG as part of its unique City as Museum initiative, such a remarkable exhibition. The initiative encourages people to see the city itself as a living museum rather than a collection of isolated monuments. By connecting art, archives, history, and physical locations, City as Museum reveals hidden layers of urban heritage and helps visitors understand how cities evolve over time. It transforms familiar streets and landmarks into gateways to the past.
Gate of the tomb of emperor Akbar at Secundra near Agra
View of Mutura on the river Jumna
The Mausoleum of Amir Khusero at the ancient city of Delhi
The exhibition centred on the work of Thomas Daniell (1749–1840) and his nephew William Daniell (1769–1837), who undertook one of the most ambitious artistic journeys of their age. Travelling across India between 1786 and 1794, they covered thousands of kilometres by boat, bullock cart, horseback, and on foot. Along the way, they sketched cities, monuments, temples, forts, landscapes, and scenes of everyday life. These sketches were later transformed into aquatints and published as Oriental Scenery, a landmark series that shaped Europe’s visual understanding of India for generations.
What made this exhibition particularly significant was that, for the first time in Delhi, all 144 prints from the complete Oriental Scenery series had been brought together under one roof. Viewed collectively, they offered an unparalleled visual record of India during a period of profound transition and provide a fascinating opportunity to compare the landscapes of the eighteenth century with the India we know today.
View in the fort, Madura
A mosque at Jaunpore
For me, this was far more than a gallery visit. Over three visits spread across three days, I spent more than ten hours exploring the exhibition, photographing the prints, studying their details, and reading about the stories behind them. Each image became a lesson in history, architecture, geography, and cultural memory. Time and again, I found myself comparing the scenes before me with places I have travelled to over the years. Some monuments were instantly recognisable, while others survive only in these fragile yet enduring visual records.
Mausoleum of Sultan Purveiz near Allahabad
The Baolee at Ramnagar
As Local Guides and travellers, we spend much of our time documenting the present—photographing landmarks, writing reviews, and sharing experiences. The Daniells were doing something remarkably similar more than two hundred years ago. Their work reminds us that every image we create today may one day become an important record of how our cities, landscapes, and communities once looked.
An antique reservoir near Colar in the Mysore
Ruins in Rotas Gur, Bahar
I left the exhibition with a profound appreciation for the power of documentation. Long after buildings disappear and landscapes change, records such as these continue to tell their stories. More than two centuries after they were created, the Daniells’ aquatints still invite us to travel through time, rediscover forgotten worlds, and see familiar places with fresh eyes. And perhaps that is their greatest legacy—not simply showing us what India looked like, but reminding us why preserving its stories matters.
Have you ever visited an exhibition that completely changed the way you look at a city? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
My reveiw of the DAG gallery, my favourite art gallery in Delhi can be read here
My review of the Bikaner house can be read here
