{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O431921"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O431921/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NJ7969/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NJ7969/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NJ7969","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O431921/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O431921","accessionNumber":"1152-1869","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Iron Laht at the Kootub, Old Delhi","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"William Simpson (1823 - 1899) was a distinguished watercolourist and war artist. Having established his reputation by documenting the Crimean war in 1854, Day and Sons, the London lithography firm, commissioned him to sketch well-known sites in and around Delhi associated with the Revolt of 1857 by Indians against the rule of the British East India Company. \r\n\r\nSimpson arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1859 and travelled widely. His rapid pencil drawings formed the preparatory studies for his finished watercolours done after his return to London in 1862. His detailed journal, sketches and pictures from India resulted in these highly coloured, evocative, and romantic interpretations of the landscape and architecture.\r\n\r\nThis watercolour, completed in London, shows the Iron Laht (Iron Pillar) in the Qutub Minar Complex in Delhi, India. Simpson arrived in Delhi on 29th December 1859, where he would have visited the Qutub Minar complex.","physicalDescription":"Painting of the Iron Laht (Iron Pillar) in the Qutub Minar Complex in Delhi, India. The pillar, with a bell-shaped capital, stands in front of the dilapidated entrance of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque within the complex. Two men examine it. A marble tomb is seen in the foreground. An ascetic and a woman carrying a pot on her head are present in the scene.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Simpson, William RI FRGS","id":"A10511"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting (technique)","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2023NJ7969"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES403504"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1864","earliest":"1864-01-01","latest":"1864-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs Day and Son Ltd (London) in 1869","dimensions":[{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"420","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"325","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"<i>Front</i> - Iron Laht at the Kootub, Old Delhi. Wm. Simpson, 1864.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"<i>Back</i> - 165. (190) Iron Laht, at the Kootub, Old Delhi… \r\n\r\n190. Iron Laht, at the Kootub, Old Delhi. \r\nThis celebrated iron pillar stands surrounded by ruins associated with two different faiths, if not more, for it is thought to have been originally of Buddhist origin. It stands in the centre of a Hindoo temple, the remains of which can be seen in the picture. On the Mahomedan conquest of Delhi, the victors, to indicate their superiority over the vanquished, converted the temple into a mosque; and they raised a series of arches to look down on the older building, as if with the pride of those who raised them. Of this vanity only the ruins are left. The iron pillar is reputed to be “the centre of the earth”, and the “navel of the earth”. By these titles we find a curious identification with Delphi, the ancient shrine of Apollo in Greece, which was reputed “the middle of the earth”, and the Terrae umbilicus – names associated with many holy places in ancient times. The name of Delhi indicates this. Its real name is Dilhi, and it is derived from Dil, the Hindostanee for heart. It was most probably the “heart” or centre of some ancient creed. As the centre of the world, it was the spot to which the world turned in prayer, as the Mahomedans of the present day do to Mecca. ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"William Simpson (1823 - 1899), born in Glasgow, was a distinguished watercolourist and war artist. Following a seven-year apprenticeship with a specialist lithographic firm, he moved to London in February 1851 and found employment with Day and Sons. Having established his reputation by documenting the Crimean war in 1854, he was commissioned to sketch well-known sites in and around Delhi associated with the Revolt of 1857 against the rule of the British East India Company. \r\n\r\nSimpson arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) at the end of October 1859 and travelled extensively. Throughout his life, he kept careful diaries, and his hundreds of sketches and pictures form an invaluable record of his travels. He planned to produce four large volumes with approximately 250 plates to be lithographed as illustrations. He spent seven years on the project – three years making preparatory works and the rest in London working his sketches into finished paintings. His life and work in India resulted in these highly coloured, evocative, and romantic interpretations of the landscape and architecture.\r\n\r\nWhile Simpson was away, Day and Son had been drifting into debt. In 1867, before it finally went into liquidation at the end of the year, Simpson was made a company shareholder as part payment for his work. Two years later, his collection of 250 watercolours were sold as bankrupt stock. The V&A purchased 44 original watercolours from Day & Son, Limited (London) in 1869. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting of the Iron Pillar at the Qutub Minar, Delhi by William Simpson, pencil and watercolour on paper, London, 1864.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Registered File number RF/1869/6716"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1152-1869"],"accessionNumberNum":"1152","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1869,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-26","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}