{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O82269"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82269/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF4542/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2022NF4542/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2022NF4542","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AH4390","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O82269/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O82269","accessionNumber":"1139-1869","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"The Bull Nandi in the courtyard of the Golden Temple, Benares","type":"generic title"}],"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\nDuring his time in India, Simpson travelled from Kanpur to Allahabad, where he remained for about a week, and then went on to Benares (Varanasi), where he was put up at the Victoria Hotel. He spent three days at the Golden Temple.  He completed the painting of the sculpture of the sacred bull-calf, Nandi, at the Golden Temple in Benares in 1869. ","physicalDescription":"Painting of the sculpture of the sacred bull-calf, Nandi, at the Golden Temple in Benares, India. Nandi, the <i>vahana </i>(mount) of Lord Shiva, is seated near the <i>mandapa</i> (pillared hall) in front of the Vishvantha Temple, also known as the Golden temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has a clustered pointed spire, gilded and decorated with flags. Several <i>Lingas</i> (the phallic symbol of Shiva) are present. On the left, a woman in a pink sari bathes the Linga in milk, a ritual to energise and purify the deity. Local devotees carry<i> lotas</i> (vessels) containing milk.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Simpson, William RI FRGS","id":"A10511"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2022NF4542","2006AH4390"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES403505"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Benares","id":"x30824"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1866","earliest":"1866-01-01","latest":"1866-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs Day and Son Ltd (London) in 1869","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"29.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"The Bull Nanda, Golden Temple. Benares. Wm. Simpson 1866.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"front","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"front"}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: William Simpson (1823 - 1899)\r\nWilliam Simpson was commissioned to go to India by his employers, Day and Sons, the London lithography firm. Having established his reputation by documenting the Crimean war in 1854, he was instructed to sketch well-known sites in and around Delhi associated with the heavy fighting of 1857.\r\nSimpson arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1859 and travelled widely. His rapid pencil drawings formed the preparatory studies for his finished watercolours which were done after his return to London in 1862. His fond memories of India, as noted in his journal, resulted in these highly coloured, evocative and romantic interpretations of the Indian landscape.\r\nSimpson, a largely self-taught artist from a poor family in Scotland, had hoped to achieve fame on the publication of his paintings in a lavishly illustrated volume. Unfortunately, financial problems led to the poorly printed India Ancient and Modern containing only fifty images. Simpson called it the ‘big disaster’ of his life. \r\nThe V&A has the single most important collection of watercolours made during Simpson's first expedition to India.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting of the Bull Nandi in the courtyard of the Golden Temple by William Simpson, Benares, 1866","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.302, pl. 18","free":"Registered File number RF/1869/6716"},{"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. 73","free":""}],"production":"Although the painting dates from 1864, the scene depicted was originally sketched in December 1860.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Nandi","id":"N1101"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bulls","id":"x30279"},{"text":"temple","id":"AAT7595"},{"text":"sculpture","id":"AAT47090"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1139-1869"],"accessionNumberNum":"1139","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1869,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-25","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-11","availableToBook":true}}