album;
painting
- Museum number
- 1945,1013,0.9.31
- Description
-
Watercolour painting on paper of the Taj Mahal from the banks of the River Yamuna. The painting shows the Taj Mahal from the opposite bank, with the river in the foreground on which boats sail. Some appear to be carrying cargo. The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a red sandstone wall, decorated with niches, which acts as a barrier between the building and the river. Above the sandstone wall is the white marble plinth on which stands the Taj Mahal. In each of the four corners of the plinth is a minaret, faced in white marble and crowned by a domed kiosk. The mausoleum is octagonal in shape and has four central arches surrounding entrances, one of which is shown in this painting. It is covered in white marble which is decorated with inlaid precious and semi precious stones to create floral patterns and inscriptions. The mausoleum is crowned by a large bulbous dome on a high neck, also faced in white marble which has four smaller domed kiosks on each corner of the roof. The mausoleum is flanked by two red sandstone buildings which are decorated with white marble inlay. On the right of the mausoleum is a mosque, and the building on the left is often called the 'jawab' or echo, which creates an architectural balance in the complex and is thought to have been used as a guest house. Trees and plants are painted between the two sandstone buildings and the mausoleum suggesting the garden beyond. The painting is framed by a thick black line.
- Production date
- 19thC(early)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 21.70 centimetres
-
Width: 29 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This painting comes from an album of watercolour paintings and pen and ink drawings of North Indian architectural subjects (1945,1013,0.9.1-33). These include the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra. Albums such as this were commonly made during the early 19th century, typically for European visitors in India. Comparable albums are in the collections of the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Taj Mahal was built between 1631 and 1643 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628-58) as a mausoleum for his wife Arjumand Banu Begum, also known by the title Mumtaz Mahal.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1945
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1945,1013,0.9.31
