Storm on the Ganges, with Mrs. Hastings near the Colgon Rocks
Date:
ca. 1790
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
50 × 72 inches (127 × 182.9 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1973.1.23
Gallery Label:
The rocks of Kahalgaon (known as Colgong during the colonial period) lie along a treacherous stretch of the Ganges River in northeastern India. The boulders are so large that they form small islands, upon which ancient tombs and dwellings were built. During the rainy season, boat travel becomes treacherous. In this scene, a passenger boat hurtles toward the giant rocks, and oarsmen struggle to keep the boat level in the churning water. A rainbow appears in the sky to indicate that the storm will soon pass and the passengers will survive. --- The painting was commissioned by Warren Hastings, the East India Company’s first governor-general of Bengal, after his return to England. It commemorates an incident in which his wife Marian (née Chapuset) survived this harrowing journey to reach his sickbed. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2025