NORTHERN INDIA, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

These watercolours and photographs of Agra reflect the steady increase in demand for architectural views of Mughal monuments after Delhi and Agra were captured by the British in 1803. Although compiled in 1917, the paintings were produced earlier in the mid-19th century, with the photographs taken later. A favourite subject is the Taj Mahal and the cenotaphs inside. Built for his favourite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, known as Mumtaz Mahal, the Emperor Shah Jahan was also buried inside the mausoleum upon his death in 1666. The cenotaphs are placed at the centre of an octagonal enclosure of marble screens within the vast white marble clad building, richly adorned with pietra dura inlay.

A similar group of fifteen Company school watercolours of views of monuments in Agra sold in these Rooms 12 June 2018, lot 157.

The full list of watercolours and photographs included in this lot are as follows. Unless specified, all items are watercolours:
Photograph of the gateway of the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal gateway
View of the Taj Mahal and gardens
View of the Taj Mahal
Interior of the Taj Mahal
The marble fencing around the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal)
Side view of the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal
View of the Taj Mahal from across the River Jumna
Top of the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal
Detail of a marble relief panel and pietra dura inlay
Calligraphic panel from the side of Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph
View of the Agra Fort gates
The Moteh Masjid in the Agra Fort
The tomb of Itimad ud-Dawlat, Agra
The Tomb of Shaykh Selim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri
Photograph of Akbar’s tomb and gardens
The Tomb of Shaykh Selim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri (incorrectly labelled ‘Sikandera’)
Photograph of the Taj Mahal from its gateway
Eleven watercolours of unspecified details of pietra dura inlay