{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O15721"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15721/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW6835/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW6835/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EW6835","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O15721/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O15721","accessionNumber":"IS.18-1964","objectType":"Architectural drawing (visual work)","titles":[{"title":"View of the Taj Mahal, Agra, from the gateway, with trees in the garden.","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"‘Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. This painting depicts the Taj Mahal, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate his deceased wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal ('Elect of the Palace'), who died in 1631, shortly after giving birth to their fourteenth child. \r\n\r\nWork began in 1632, and the mausoleum was completed in 1653. When his son Aurangzeb seized the throne, Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the rest of his life in Agra Fort, from which he would gaze wistfully at the Taj Mahal in the distance. When he died, in January 1666, his body was interred there alongside that of his wife.","physicalDescription":"View of the Taj Mahal, Agra, from the gateway, with trees in the garden. The paper has an embossed edge and narrow painted border. One of fifteen drawings of monuments in Agra, Delhi and Fatehpur Sikri.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"embossed","id":"x45663"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper with embossed borders","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Indian Company Paintings","id":"THES49045"}],"styles":[{"text":"Company","id":"AAT18959"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2011EW6835"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES403770"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Delhi","id":"x29851"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1820","earliest":"1815-01-01","latest":"1824-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"12","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"View of the Taj from the grand entrance","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"ca.1820","earliest":"1815-01-01","latest":"1824-12-31"},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"English","medium":"ink","method":"","position":"Front","script":"Roman","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"English; Roman; Front; ink; ca.1820"}],"objectHistory":"Lord Amherst (2nd Baron, 1st Earl) was Governor-General of India from August 1823 to March 1828. Both he and his wife had a keen interest in India and Lady Amherst was a skilled watercolourist.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"architectural; Paintings, watercolour paper, Delhi, 1820-25","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Archer, Mildred. <u> Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period</u> \r\nVictoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992 134 p. ISBN 0944142303"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Taj Mahal","id":"x34886"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Architecture, Mughal","id":"x31032"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.18-1964"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1964,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-05","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":true}}