A.R. ACOTT (DATES UNKNOWN) AGRA & FATEHPUR SIKRI. Circa 1920s.
39 3/4x25 1/4 inches, 101x64 cm. Ravi Udaya & Vijaya, Ghatkopar.
Condition A-: repaired tears at edges, some into image.
An abandoned architectural marvel and birthplace of local folklore, Fatehpur Sikri was the short-lived capital city of Emperor Akbar's Mughal empire from 1571 to 1585. Legendarily built to honor a local Sufi saint who predicted the birth of an heir, the Indo-Islamic complex housed the emperor and his three wives until 1585 when it was mysteriously abandoned, most likely due to drought or conflict. The city was refurbished for the coronation of Muhammad Shah (1709-48), and then again at the turn of the 20th century by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India for the British Empire. This scene depicts the renovated city as 1920s tourist attraction, beautifully capturing the view from the Panch Mahal towards Diwan-E-Khas, the emperor's private audience hall. The Arabian Nights stories, mentioned here in reference to Fatehpur Sikri, first entered English vernacular in the Middle Ages, and their foreign romanticism remained popular through the 20th century. The stories were translated, referenced and widely disseminated throughout English society, inspiring great writers such as Tennyson and Dickens in their work, and perpetuating a quixotic idealism of "The Orient," which the artist used here to inspire foreign travel. rare. We have not found any previous records at auction.