This is an ethereal 18th Century painting of ‘The Taj Mahal’, set in an expansive vista. The painter William Hodges, was one of the earliest professional artists from the U.K. to come to India. He travelled through India in the early years of the 1780s, painting picturesque views in oil and watercolour. Hodges was enchanted by Islamic architecture and described ‘The Taj Mahal’ as “a most perfect pearl set on an azure ground”. The sublimity of this visualization can be seen in this painting.