$1,500–$10,000. Common subjects: $1,500–$3,000. Key value factors: Bartlett's Watanabe-published prints of India and Southeast Asia are most valued. His vivid tropical colors distinguish his work.
Gateway to Agra, created around 1923, depicts one of the monumental entrances to the Mughal city's fortified complex. Agra's red sandstone gateways, massive arched structures decorated with inlaid marble, colored tiles, and carved geometric patterns, are among the finest examples of Mughal architectural design. These gates were not merely functional thresholds but works of art intended to impress visitors with the power and sophistication of the empire.
Bartlett's oban woodblock print frames the gateway as a visual event, its grand arch creating a powerful geometric focus within the composition. The warm red-brown tones of the sandstone, achieved through careful layering of earth-toned pigments on the woodblock, contrast with the cooler blues of sky visible through the arch. Figures passing through the gateway provide scale, emphasizing the structure's immense proportions. Created several years after Bartlett's actual visit, this print shows how he refined his travel observations into carefully structured compositions.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Gateway to Agra was created by Charles W. Bartlett in ca. 1923..
Gateway to Agra depicts architecture.
