Tomb of Altamsh, Delhi

1866

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Tomb of Altamsh, 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

You see a quiet stone tomb framed by arches, sunlight cutting sharp shadows across the worn carvings. Rousselet made this image in India, not with paint, but with a camera—one of the first Europeans to photograph the country’s monuments. He worried his sketches weren’t enough, so he taught himself photography there. The photo feels still, like a place waiting for people to return. If you like this quiet way of seeing 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.