Artwork
Sir Auckland Colvin and Family, Shimla

Sir Auckland Colvin and Family, Shimla is a photography by the Impressionist artist Raja Deen Dayal. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Sir Auckland Colvin and Family, Shimla is a photograph taken by Deen Dayal in 1887. It depicts Sir Auckland Colvin with his daughters in a garden setting.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph shows Sir Auckland Colvin, a British administrator, with his three daughters. Two framed photographs on a table, likely of his deceased wife and son, are the focal point around which the family is arranged, symbolically reuniting them.
Technique & Style
The photograph was taken using a large glass plate negative and view camera, requiring daylight and careful posing to avoid blur. The resulting image is formal, with the sitters arranged in a deliberate composition, yet softened by the surrounding greenery.
History & Provenance
The photograph was taken in 1887, the year Sir Auckland Colvin became lieutenant governor of North-Western Provinces, a position previously held by his father.
Artist & collection
Artist
Raja Lala Deen Dayal, famously known as Raja Deen Dayal) was an Indian photographer.














