Buktawur's Tank, Ulwur

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Buktawur's Tank, Ulwur is a 1866 by Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet, a Impressionism work, 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 quiet stone tank surrounded by carved arches, with sunlight cutting across the water. Rousselet made this image while traveling in India in the 1860s. He started with sketches, then learned photography right there to get the details right. The tank is part of an old fort, but the picture feels like a snapshot—no grand poses, just light and shadow on worn stone. If you like how light plays on old buildings, look up *chiaroscuro*.

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.