THE SCREEN OF THE TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA, COMPANY SCHOOL, CIRCA 1800

Ex-collection Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860), architect of the Houses of Parliament.

This and the following lot both come from the collection of Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860). Sir Charles was the architect of the Houses of Parliament. His son, Sir John, was a renowned engineer, whose projects included the Tower of London. It is unclear when the drawing entered the collection of the Wolfe-Barry family, but it is likely that it was acquired in the first half of the nineteenth century, as these drawings were produced for a European audience.

This view shows the marble screen around the sarcophagus in the Taj Mahal at Agra. A similar drawing is now in the British Library, inv.no.Add.Or.990. A comparable view was sold at Christie's London, 25 May 1995, lot 7.