Architectural & Sculptural Monuments of India (Bharat)

Fourth Edition, Circa 1950s

Colour lithograph on paper

Print size: 38.25 x 25.5 in (97 x 65 cm)
Sheet size: 39 x 26.5 in (99 x 67 cm)
Folded size: 9.84 x 6.69 in (25 x 17 cm)

India (Bharat): Architectural and Sculptural Monuments — A Monumental Pictorial Map of the Subcontinent

Pictorial maps occupy a distinct position within the history of cartography, privileging visual narration and symbolic representation over metric precision. Developed primarily for educational, institutional, and display purposes, they use illustrative imagery to communicate cultural, historical, or thematic information at a glance, transforming geography into a curated visual narrative rather than a tool of navigation.

This striking pictorial wall map of India (Bharat): Architectural and Sculptural Monuments represents a sophisticated post-Independence reimagining of cartography as a cultural statement. Designed by Madhuri Desai for the Bhulabhai Memorial Institute, Bombay, it was conceived not as a navigational map but as a visually compelling survey of India’s architectural and sculptural legacy, intended for institutional display and international presentation.

Map printed on yellow ground with brown pictorial vignettes; decorative sculptural border; extensive inset diagrams and comparative tables; bilingual printing marks (“Printed in Switzerland / Imprimé en Suisse”).

The composition presents the Indian subcontinent as a dense visual field of monuments, with sepia-toned pictorial vignettes meticulously distributed across the map to indicate temples, stupas, mosques, palaces, gateways, and sculptural remains. The result is a richly layered image that functions simultaneously as a map, an illustrated catalogue, and a historical overview. Complementary inset panels enhance its intellectual ambition, including a chronological chart of Indian art schools, comparative distance tables, and a notable elevation drawing placing Indian and European monuments on a shared scale.

Printed in Switzerland by Courvoisier, the map reflects exceptional mid-twentieth-century graphic production values. Its dedication to Dhirajlal Bhulabhai Desai, India’s first ambassador to Switzerland, underscores its role within the cultural-diplomatic milieu of the early Republic. Rarely encountered intact, the map stands today as an accomplished example of modern pictorial cartography, bridging scholarship, design, and national self-representation.

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