{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O81952"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O81952/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4376/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4376/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH4376","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O81952/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O81952","accessionNumber":"IS.50-1882","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"The Golden Temple at Amritsar","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"William Carpenter was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and of William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum. In early 1850 he set off in the footsteps of his younger brother Percy, also an artist, and landed in Bombay. He spent much of his time painting portraits of local rulers and the surrounding countryside, often wearing Indian dress himself. He travelled widely, from Sri Lanka in the south to Kashmir in the north, and he also spent some time in the Punjab and Afghanistan before moving south to Rajasthan. He appears to have returned to England in 1856. Ten years later he was living in Boston, USA, but he later returned to London, where he died in 1899. This painting shows the famous Golden Temple at the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in Punjab state. It is a general view looking northwards and showing part of the causeway. The temple, which is regarded as the spiritual centre of the Sikh faith, was originally built by Guru Arjan Singh in the late 16th century but renovated, perhaps entirely rebuilt, by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century.","physicalDescription":"General view northwards of the Golden Temple and dwellings across the Tank, with part of the Causeway, Amritsar (Punjab).","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Carpenter, William","id":"A6229"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AH4376"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES403680"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Amritsar","id":"x31116"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"probably 02/1854","earliest":"1854-02-01","latest":"1854-02-28"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from William Carpenter","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"52","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"35.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Museum numbers IS.33-1888 to IS.166-1888 purchased from William Carpenter for £500. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"The Golden Temple, Amritsar by William Carpenter, paintings, watercolour on paper, India, 1854.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Rohatgi P. and Parlett G., assisted by Imray S. and Godrej P. <u>Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: Paintings and Drawings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, 17th to the early 20th century</u>. Published by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, in association with V&A, London, 2008. ISBN 81-901020-9-5.","id":"AUTH329675"},"details":"p. 275, pl. 29","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Patel, Divia; Rohatgi, Pauline and Godrej, Pheroza, \"Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: an exhibition of paintings and drawings from the 17th to the early 20th century organised by the V&A and CSMVS\". Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai and Victoria and Albert Museum, 2008, ISBN:81-901020-8-7","id":"AUTH330101"},"details":"p.63","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"The Golden Temple","id":"x38352"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Amritsar, meaning 'pool of nectar' is the holiest of Sikh religious sites. In the late 16th century Guru Arjan Dev, conceived a shrine in the centre of the pool, called the Harmandir or House of God. This acquired its popular title of the Golden Temple when Ranjit Singh (1801-1839) rebuilt the structure and covered the roof in gilded copper plates. The charm of this painting is in the way Carpenter captures the local people in the foreground with the magnificent temple reflected in the pool in the background.","date":{"text":"1/12/2008","earliest":"2008-12-01","latest":"2008-12-01"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.50-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"50","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-03","availableToBook":false}}