Caves of Karlie: No. 1, The Approach

William Johnson

Date: 1855–62
Medium: albumen print
Dimensions: Paper: 19 x 24.3 cm (7 1/2 x 9 9/16 in.)
Country / context: India
Movement / tradition: South Asian arts
Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Pathway: South Asian arts ↗

FROM THE MUSEUM

This early view of the entrance to the ancient Karlie, or Karla, Caves in Western India shows the site before its restoration, including the monumental entrance pillar topped by a sculpture. Windows cut into the rock provided light inside. The shrines, created between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE, provided sanctuary and shelter for monks but also for travelers and traders.

Collection text · The Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0

A MOMENT TO LOOK

Start with what you can see: shapes, surface, colour and scale. How might the listed materials affect the way this object was made and experienced?

Looking prompt · an invitation to observe, not a historical interpretation.

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