Mermaid gate, Kaiserbagh, Lucknow

Simpson completed the painting of the Jal Pari (Mermaid Gateway) at the Kaiserbagh Palace Complex in Lucknow in 1864. Jal Pari translates to ‘water fairy’. The Palace was built between 1848 and 1850 for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (r. 1847-56). It consisted of an immense courtyard surrounded by living quarters, royal mansions, baradaris (pillared pavilions) and cupolas. The Nawab had an abiding interest in European architecture which resulted in this eclectic design. Passing through the Jal Pari, one arrived in a garden called Hazrat Bagh, at the centre of which was the Chandi Wali Baradari (Silver pillared pavilion). This pavilion was famed for the silver plating that covered the roof, walls and pillars.

A large part of the Kaiserbagh Palace Complex was destroyed during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58 by the British. The Mermaid Gateway survived until 1870. Simpson’s painting is an important illustration of the Mermaid Gate that no longer exists.