Drawing of the "Koh-I-Noor Diamond"
Medium
Watercolor and gold paint over graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 9 3/4 x 12 13/16 in. (24.8 x 32.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.562.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Drawing of the "Koh-Noor Diamond"* (1851), a masterful watercolor and gold paint rendering over graphite by R. S. Garrard & Co., the esteemed London jewelers to Queen Victoria. Measuring 9¾ × 12⅞ inches, this delicate sheet captures the legendary gem—known as the "Mountain of Light"—in shimmering detail, its facets aglow with metallic highlights that mimic the diamond's legendary sparkle. Created amid the British Empire's expansion, the drawing coincides with the Koh-i-Noor's controversial transfer from Punjab's Maharaja Duleep Singh to the British Crown in 1849. Garrard...
About the Artist
R. S. Garrard & Co. (British) · 1730 –1909
British, founded 1730