Artwork

Six drawings of Mughal architecture at Agra and Delhi.

Six drawings of Mughal architecture at Agra and Delhi., by Unknown, 1825
Six drawings of Mughal architecture at Agra and Delhi., by Unknown, 1825

Six drawings of Mughal architecture at Agra and Delhi. is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1825 a series of six drawings was produced that document Mughal architectural monuments located in Agra and Delhi.

About this work

Overview

In 1825 a series of six drawings was produced that document Mughal architectural monuments located in Agra and Delhi. Among the subjects is a depiction of Delhi’s Qutb Minar, rendered before the installation of a later addition known as Colonel Smith’s cupola. The set functions as an early visual record of these structures as they appeared in the early nineteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The drawings focus on prominent Mughal edifices, highlighting the verticality and ornamental complexity of the Qutb Minar. The tower is shown as a slender, multi‑tiered shaft of light‑brown stone, each level distinguished by its own pattern of carved motifs. A modest dome crowns the narrow summit, while a square base with steps grounds the composition, emphasizing the monument’s imposing height.

Technique & Style

Executed in drawing, the works employ fine linear detail to capture intricate surface decoration, a characteristic approach of Romantic-era visual culture. The artist’s attention to texture and pattern conveys both the materiality of the stone and the aesthetic fascination with exotic architecture that was prevalent among European travelers of the period.

History & Provenance

Created three years before the addition of Colonel Smith’s cupola in 1828, the series offers a baseline for comparative study of subsequent alterations to the Qutb Minar. The drawings have been preserved as part of a collection documenting early British observations of Indian monuments, providing scholars with primary evidence of the monument’s pre‑colonial appearance.

Artist & collection

Artist

Unknown

entity whose identity is not known