Taj Mahal, Back View of the Rest-House, with Figure

1860

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Cityscape

Dominant colour

Taj Mahal, Back View of the Rest-House, with Figure is a 1860 by Dr. John Murray, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Dr. John Murray
When & what style?: 1860 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a photograph of the Taj Mahal's rest-house from an elevated viewpoint. The photo shows the building's details in a unique way. Dr. John Murray took this photo after living near the Taj Mahal for 20 years, which gave him a deep understanding of the monument. This photo is similar to works that use chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts of light and dark to create a sense of volume.

The story of this work

Overview

Although Dr. John Murray enjoyed a distinguished medical career as a surgeon, administrator, and leader in the fight against cholera, he is now best known for his superb paper negative photographs of India. Having lived near the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra for 20 years, Dr. Murray took great interest in the monument, photographing it from numerous perspectives and under varying light conditions. In this print, he chose an elevated viewpoint to compose an intriguing rendering of the Rest-House. The paper negative was waxed before sensitizing, improving its translucency and allowing the…

Read the full account in the museum source.