The Temple of Juggernauth, Oodeypore

1867

Chromolithograph on paper

Sheet Size: 15.75 x 21.5 in (39.8 x 54.5 cm)
With Mount: 22 x 28 in (55.6 x 71 cm)

Plate 30 from Sir John William Kaye's book titled India Ancient and Modern. A Series of Illustrations of the Country and People of India and Adjacent Territories," published by Day & Son, London, in 1867.

A view of the temple dedicated to Jagannatha ('Lord of the World') in Udaipur. Also called the Jagdish temple, it was built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651.

This print is from one of the most elusive Indian view books depicting Indian views. A fine chronicle of the country just after the Sepoy Rebellion, Simpson's views of India are one of the rarest of all the Indian views. Following the success of his previous work on the Crimea War, Simpson received a commission to create an illustrated book on India to rival Roberts' Holy Land. Despite submitting approximately 250 watercolours to Day & Son, the project faced downsizing due to a financial crisis in 1866, which alarmed potential subscribers, and the high cost of producing chromolithograph plates.

The ordinary traveller who visits India sees Bombay, Calcutta, Benares, Agra, and Delhi, but he does not see the vast spaces between these noted places as observed by Simpson. It is in these spaces that the real India exists.

William Simpson (1823-1899)
William Simpson was a pioneering British war artist and a prominent special correspondent. Initially trained in lithography, Simpson gained early recognition for his work documenting the Crimean War (1853–1856). He was one of the first to combine watercolour painting with lithography, producing striking images of the war that were widely disseminated in publications like The Illustrated London News. His lithographs of the war, including scenes from the siege of Sebastopol and the Charge of the Light Brigade, earned him the nickname "Crimea Simpson."

Beyond the Crimea, Simpson travelled extensively, documenting major military conflicts and cultural landscapes. Notably, from October 1859, when he arrived in Calcutta, to February 1862, when he departed Bombay, Simpson spent two and a half years travelling in India. Simpson compiled his sketches from this period into a series of lithographs. In the north, he visited Lahore, Simla, the upper reaches of the Sutlej as far as Chini (which were higher than the Frasers had been able to explore), Agra, and Lucknow. Simpson spent a few weeks in Central India with Lord and Lady Canning in early 1861. Simpson elected to tour Rajasthan while they were in Jubbulpore (Jabalpur).

Simpson also journeyed to Abyssinia, Russia, and Afghanistan, continuing his work as a special artist, covering notable events like the Franco-Prussian War and the opening of the Suez Canal. Simpson's role as a visual journalist extended beyond war; his deep interest in cultural documentation led him to meticulously observe architecture, people, and customs during his travels. In 1874, the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours elected him as an Associate, and he played a significant role in transforming the society into the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. Later in life, he established himself in Willesden, Middlesex, and penned his autobiography, which saw posthumous publication in 1903.

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