This iconic image of the 1857 Indian Mutiny (or Great Rebellion)
is striking in its harshness. The Residency was built around
1800 for the British Resident in Lucknow. The Resident was a
senior British official posted to a major state in India. The
complex was besieged twice during the Mutiny, then recaptured by
British forces. The surviving ruins convey the grandeur of the
original building and evidence of the destruction of the events
of 1857. The Mutiny is regarded by many as the most disastrous
event in the history of the British presence in India. It
brought about the demise of the East India Company, and the
take-over of its functions and responsibilities by the British
Crown. The barren, desolate landscape pictured here served as a
constant reminder of the events. It appeared to be attesting to
the brutality of the Indians versus the respectability of the
British. The harsh light and lack of any human figures made it
all the more potent.