South Façade of the Quadrangle of the Nayak Darbar Hall, Thanjavur

1858

South Façade of the Quadrangle of the Nayak Darbar Hall, Thanjavur, 1858. Captain Linnaeus Tripe (British, 1822–1902). Albumenized salt print; image: 27.7 x 34.2 cm (10 7/8 x 13 7/16 in.); image with black margin: 27.7 x 36.1 cm (10 7/8 x 14 3/16 in.); paper: 27.7 x 36.1 cm (10 7/8 x 14 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2020.213 Early box cameras had no shutter; the photographer just removed and replaced the lens cap, guessing at how long to leave it off. Linnaeus Tripe’s mastery of light and exposure here is incredible. The print allows us to read the decoration that is in shadow as well as that in full sunlight. This assembly hall is an important example of the Islamic influences brought by the Nayaks to South Indian architecture in the 1600s.