End elevation of the cenotaph of Akbar. Sikandra.

1819

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Dominant colour

End elevation of the cenotaph of Akbar. Sikandra. is a 1819 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1819 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows a simple, clean sketch of a marble tomb. The top half is a square base with a flat top, surrounded by a border of swirling vines and leaves. Below it, a wide, curved base with more detailed carvings looks like a platform. The lines are light and precise, almost like a blueprint. The text at the bottom calls it the "End Elevation of the marble Cenotaph of the Emperor Akbar at Sikandra." That means this is a front-facing view of a tomb’s back end—basically, a flat drawing of what the structure looks like from behind. If you like this kind of detailed architectural sketch, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

The drawing depicts the end elevation of the cenotaph of Akbar at Sikandra, part of a series of fifteen illustrations of Mughal architecture and ornamental details from monuments in Agra. Created by Delhi artists working in Calcutta for Colonel Pownell Phipps between 1816 and 1822, the work was later included in a portfolio donated by his son, Colonel R.W. Phipps. The piece reflects the documentation of Mughal structures during the early 19th century.

Read the full account in the museum source.