William Hodges RA (1744 – 1797)

• Was an English painter.
• Hodges was born on 28 October 1744 in London.
• He studied under William Shipley and afterwards in the studio of Richard Wilson.
• Between 1772 and 1775 Hodges accompanied James Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist.

• Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage. 

• In 1778, under the patronage of Warren Hastings, Hodges travelled to India, one of the first British professional landscape painters to visit that country.

• He remained there for six years, staying in Lucknow.

• In 1794 Hodges published an illustrated book about his travels in India. 

• Later Hodges travelled across Europe, including a visit to St. Petersburg in Russia in 1790. 

• In December 1794 Hodges opened an exhibition of twenty-five of his own works at Orme's Gallery, 14 Old Bond Street, London.

• Hodges retired to Devon and became involved with a bank, which failed during the banking crisis of March 1797.

• Hodges Knoll in Antarctica is named after William Hodges. 

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