Artwork

Delhi. The Kashmire Gate. The Scene of Some Very Hard Fighting in 1857

Delhi. The Kashmire Gate. The Scene of Some Very Hard Fighting in 1857 is a photography by the Impressionist artist Samuel Bourne. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

It’s one of the earliest photos of the site, so it preserves what the gate looked like before later repairs.

This photo shows the Kashmiri Gate in Delhi, battered and broken after fighting in 1857. The walls are pocked with bullet holes, and rubble litters the ground.

Bourne took this picture in the 1860s, just years after the violence. It’s one of the earliest photos of the site, so it preserves what the gate looked like before later repairs. The quiet light makes the damage feel even sharper.

To see how other photographers documented war zones, look up the subject *England*.

Overview

This 1860s photograph, part of a collection of 50 images documenting Indian cities and monuments, captures the Kashmiri Gate in Delhi following severe damage from the 1857 conflict.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays the aftermath of intense fighting at the Kashmiri Gate, evident through bullet holes in the walls and scattered rubble, serving as a historical record of war's impact.

Technique & Style

The photograph's subdued lighting accentuates the extent of the damage, presenting a stark, unvarnished view of the gate's state shortly after the violence.

History & Provenance

Taken by Bourne in the 1860s, this is one of the earliest photographs of the site post-conflict, preserving its pre-restoration condition.

Context

Part of a broader photographic project spanning Himalayan hill towns to major Indian cities, this work contributes to a visual archive of 19th-century India's architectural and historical landscape.