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Orpheus panel from the Diwan-i Am, Delhi Fort

Unknown

1845

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Mughal Painting Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Orpheus panel from the Diwan-i Am, Delhi Fort is a 1845 paint by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1845 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows Orpheus playing a lyre on a marble floor. His music calms the animals around him. You can spot a lion and a deer quietly listening. This work comes from Delhi’s Red Fort. It’s part of a set showing the palace’s lost marble decorations. These tiny pictures save details of art that’s now damaged. The delicate lines show the artist knew Mughal miniatures well. Look closely at the bird perched on a column. See it in person at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

The Orpheus panel is one of five Company Paintings documenting inlaid marble decorations, or pietra dura work, from the Diwan-i Am in Delhi Fort, created around 1845. The scene depicts Orpheus, a figure from Greek mythology known for his enchanting music, shown playing a violin with a convex bow instead of the traditional lyre. This painting reflects a blend of Indian artistic traditions and Western conventions, produced by Indian artists for European patrons. The series holds historical significance as much of the original marble inlay it records has since been damaged or lost.

Read the full account in the museum source.