Artwork Page for Buland Darwaza with Figure

Details / Information for Buland Darwaza with Figure

Buland Darwaza with Figure

1858–62

Dr. John Murray

(Scottish, 1809–1898)
Culture
England
Medium
waxed paper negative
Measurements
Image: 37.5 x 46.5 cm (14 3/4 x 18 5/16 in.); Paper: 37.5 x 46.5 cm (14 3/4 x 18 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William and Margaret Lipscomb 2021.203
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The Buland Darwaza, or “high gate,” was built in 1575 by Mughal emperor Akbar and is said to be the tallest gate in the world.

Description

This gateway is the entrance to the Great Mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, not far from where John Murray was stationed for half of his four decades in India. Murray was by profession a doctor in the army of the East India Company, a British trading company that ruled much of India from 1757–1858. He took up photography in 1849 and made it his personal mission to photograph the many famous buildings in the region.
A horizontally oriented waxed paper negative depicts a multi-domed gateway with a central arch atop a hill. In the lower left, a figure sits near a stone ruin surrounded by pale, hazy trees. The gateway and foliage appear in light tones against a dark sky. The composition features a grainy, textured surface with frayed edges, highlighting the ethereal quality of the negative's reversed tones.

Buland Darwaza with Figure

1858–62

Dr. John Murray

(Scottish, 1809–1898)
England

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