- The Taj Mahal from the East
Sheet: 10 7/8 × 14 3/16 in. (27.6 × 36 cm)
Explore Further
John Murray, a doctor in the India Medical Service, took
up photography in the late 1840s. While stationed near Agra, he produced
hundreds of large-format studies of Mughal architecture in northwest India,
including many photographs of the Taj Mahal. Here, he has pictured India’s most
iconic monument on the bank of the Yamuna River. For practical reasons, Murray
used paper negatives when photographing on location, rather than the newer,
sharper, and faster process of glass negatives, which required an on-site
darkroom. Today, many of Murray’s original negatives survive in excellent condition
and demonstrate a high level of technical skill.
ProvenanceBy descent within the Murray family; [Sothebys London, June 18, 1999]; purchased by Kanwardip Gujral; [Bonhams London, April 9, 2008, lot 82]; purchased by a private collector; [Prahlad Bubar, London]; purchased by MFAH, 2018.
Exhibition History“Immaculate Conception: Desire and the Creative Impulse, 300 BC–1930,” Prahlad Bubbar, London, October 5–November 22, 2017.
"India Through the Camera's Eye," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 7–August 12, 2018.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
![[Plaster Bull's Head]](/internal/media/dispatcher/302250/thumbnail)
