The Taj Mahal
1860
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1860
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see the Taj Mahal glowing white across a river, while crumbling brick ruins sit in the foreground. Murray took this photo-like picture in the 1850s, when cameras were rare. The contrast—perfect marble next to broken walls—wasn’t accidental. It shows how empires rise and fall, but beauty lasts. To see more of this kind of layered scene, look up chiaroscuro.
