Ala-Oodeen's Gateway, Delhi

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Gate

Dominant colour

Ala-Oodeen's Gateway, Delhi is a 1866 by Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet, a Impressionism work, depicting Gate, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet
When & what style?: 1866 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a tall stone archway in Delhi, its carvings worn smooth by time. A few people stand beneath it, small against the massive gateway. Rousselet drew this while traveling in India, but he worried his sketches weren’t enough. So he learned photography there—a rare skill in the 1860s. This image comes from his book of photos and drawings, showing India’s grand monuments and daily life. If you like this, look up *The Cleveland Museum of Art* to see more from his travels.

The story of this work

Overview

Concerned that his drawings did not do justice to the splendor of India’s monuments, Rousselet learned photography in India that year, a remarkable accomplishment. He proved to be a talented photographer with a sophisticated sense of composition. The scenes in this volume sweep across sites of Sultanate, Rajput, and Mughal power in northern India, from the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi on the Ganges River to Alwar in Rajasthan. Also included are several scenes of industry and portraits of Indian rulers.