Delhi or Agra artist
Opaque watercolour on European paper
This finely detailed painting depicts the iconic white marble mausoleum of the Taj Mahal in Agra, focusing on the domed structure alone. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan (1628–58) in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, it was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal was the only major Mughal monument of Agra and Delhi to escape serious damage during the 18th-century sieges. From 1803 onwards, it became a favoured subject for British artists.
The term ‘Company Painting’ has come to be used by art historians for a special type of Indian painting which was produced for mainly British patrons. It was an attempt by Indian artists to adjust their styles to British needs and to paint subjects that appealed to them. They first made an appearance in the Madras Presidency in the mid-18th century and subsequently in Murshidabad, Patna, Benares, Calcutta, Delhi, Punjab, and Western India. The paintings depict in great detail the architecture, costumes, trades, modes of transport, festivals, customs, and flora and fauna of the period. They thus also served as authentic records—used to illustrate letters, journals, travel narratives, and more—and remain invaluable documents of a way of life that had endured for centuries but is now rapidly vanishing.
Following the capture of Delhi and Agra in 1803, Mughal-trained artists sought new patrons, including local rulers like Sindhia of Gwalior and Begum Samru, as well as British officials such as William and James Baillie Fraser and Colonel James Skinner. Portraiture grew more naturalistic, and Indian artists adapted their skills to produce architectural elevations that combined Mughal precision with European scientific rationalism.
Painting Size (cms): 16(H) x 20.5(W)
Painting Size (inches): 6.5(H) x 8(W)
