Design for the Pavilion at Brighton, West Front
Joseph Constantine Stadler German
After Humphry Repton British
Not on view
As the British imperial presence in India expanded during the nineteenth century, architects at home began to include Mughal elements in their designs. Perhaps the most famous example is the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, a seaside retreat built by George, Prince of Wales, over several decades. This print of the proposed garden façade records the project at an early stage, in 1808, as designed by Humphry Repton. His onion-shaped domes, arcaded veranda, and roofline ornamented with chhatris (kiosks), all borrowed from Mughal mosques and tombs, demonstrate his familiarity with recently published views of India. For the striking ornamentation applied to the domes, Repton turned to Mamluk Egyptian sources. Stadler's aquatint takes full advantage of the medium's capacity to emphasize volumes and textures. Repton's designs were never built, however, because John Nash replaced him as chief architect.
