Charles Bartlett, Taj Mahal at Sunset

Notes: Unsigned state. Titled in block, "Taj Mahal. Sunset". CWB monogram. One of Bartlett's most dramatic prints of the Taj Mahal, this image shows only part of the complex, seen from farther down the Yamuna River on the same side and partially obscured by the trees along its bank. Bartlett's own comment on this print, preserved in a sketchbook, describes the scene as follows: "The red sandstone wall with its corner towers throws into relief the pearly quality of this unique memorial." While the most famous part of the Taj Mahal is unquestionably the white marble building that serves as Mumtaz Mahal's mausoleum, the monument is in fact a complex of buildings, including the tombs of Shah Jahan's other wives and a mosque, among other structures. The red sandstone building seen in the print and noted in Bartlett's comment is one of the most enigmatic in the entire complex.