Artwork
Gate of the garden of Ali Mardan Khan at Lahore
Gate of the garden of Ali Mardan Khan at Lahore is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Mahomed Din. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
His teacher, John Lockwood Kipling, wanted students to learn old Mughal patterns.
Mahomed Din drew this study around 1880. It shows a grand doorway built in 1655 for a Mughal noble. The drawing focuses on the gateway’s detailed tile work.
Din was still a teen when he made it. His teacher, John Lockwood Kipling, wanted students to learn old Mughal patterns. The school mixed classic designs with modern ideas.
This drawing mixes Realism and Impressionism. Check out the technique called cross-hatching.
Overview
This drawing, executed circa 1880 by the young artist Mahomed Din, records the elaborate gateway erected in 1655 for the Mughal noble Ali Mardan Khan in Lahore. The work concentrates on the intricate tile‑mosaic surface of the portal, rendering its ornamental patterns with careful attention to detail.
Subject & Meaning
The composition serves as a visual study of Mughal architectural ornamentation, emphasizing the geometric and floral motifs that characterize the period’s tile work. By isolating the gateway’s decorative scheme, the drawing highlights the aesthetic principles of symmetry and repetition that underpinned Mughal design.
Technique & Style
Din employs a combination of realistic observation and impressionistic handling, using fine cross‑hatching to model the surface texture of the tiles. The line work creates tonal variation, while the overall effect suggests both precise documentation and a more fluid, atmospheric rendering of light on the mosaic.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced while Din was still in his teens, under the instruction of John Lockwood Kipling, the principal of the School of Art in Lahore. Annotations added later by Major Brandreth, principal of Roorkee College of Engineering, mistakenly reversed Din’s name, a detail that has persisted in the work’s cataloguing.
Context
Kipling’s curriculum encouraged students to master traditional Mughal motifs before adapting them to contemporary design challenges. This pedagogical approach reflects a broader 19th‑century effort in colonial India to preserve indigenous artistic practices while integrating them into modern architectural education.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mahomed Din drew meticulous views of Lahore in the late 1800s. One of his surviving sheets, "Gate of the garden of Ali Mardan Khan at Lahore," records the arched entrance and surrounding greenery in precise line and…
