Artwork
Interior of the Golden Temple, Amritsar
Interior of the Golden Temple, Amritsar is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist William Carpenter. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour painting depicts the interior of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, capturing the rich decoration and spiritual atmosphere of the sacred site.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows worshippers gathered around the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of the Sikhs, which rests on a red cushion, conveying a sense of reverence and ceremony.
Technique & Style
William Carpenter's use of colour, light, and shade creates a vivid and realistic representation of the scene, evoking the spiritual nature of the ceremony with a gentle romanticism.
History & Provenance
Painted by William Carpenter during his travels in India from 1850 to 1856, the work was later exhibited in a one-man show at the South Kensington Museum in 1881, and subsequently acquired by the V&A.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William Carpenter (1818–1899) was an English watercolour artist. He travelled for six or seven years in the 1850s painting scenes of India, its people and its life. The Victoria and Albert Museum bought over 280 of his…
The Golden Temple, Amritsar
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