Artwork
Elephant Battery on March at Jhansi
Elephant Battery on March at Jhansi is a photography by the Impressionist artist Raja Deen Dayal. It dates from 1884 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A black-and-white photograph depicting a line of elephants carrying cannons through a dusty field, accompanied by marching soldiers.
About this work
Overview
A black-and-white photograph depicting a line of elephants carrying cannons through a dusty field, accompanied by marching soldiers.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a moment of British colonial rule in India, showcasing the use of elephants to transport heavy artillery, blending traditional and modern warfare methods.
History & Provenance
This photograph is part of a disassembled album of approximately 105 images taken in India between 1885 and 1887, likely commissioned by a British civil servant as a personal memento.
Technique & Style
The photograph conveys a sense of stillness, capturing a pause in military activity rather than a dynamic scene, and is one of the early examples of photography documenting British colonial rule in India.
Artist & collection
Artist
Raja Lala Deen Dayal, famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) was an Indian photographer.
Maharaja of Rewa and Classmates
Col. F. G. Oldham (recto, top); Mr. Nowell, Shimla (recto, bottom)
Fancy Group, Indore I
Civil officers at Jhansi (recto); Mr. William's House, Jhansi (verso)
Middle Class Students and Staff, Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (verso)
Mowhri Rahman Alli Khan family, Rewa (recto, bottom)
Lord William Beresford's horses
Heavy Field Battery, Jhansi
