Entrance of the Palace of the Padishahs, Delhi

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Entrance of the Palace of the Padishahs, Delhi 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

A grand stone archway frames a sunlit courtyard in Delhi. Men in turbans and robes stand near the entrance, while others sit in the shade. Rousselet made this image just after learning photography in India. He wanted his pictures to show the real scale and detail of the buildings. The shadows and light help give the scene depth. Look up more works in the subject: france, 19th century to see how other artists pictured distant places.

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.