Courtyard, Alhambra

About the Artwork

A solitary male figure sits on the low step in the Court of the Lions, one of the palace’s two principal courtyards. This view emphasizes the building’s architectural elements and intricate molded plaster ornamentation. The brilliant highlights and dense shadows create a remarkable composition of abstract forms. Fallen into disuse, the Alhambra was an alluring and romantic reminder of past glories for travelers during this early era of photography. An accomplished topographical photographer, Charles Clifford lived in Madrid from 1852 until his death in 1863. He became the official photographer to Queen Isabella II in 1858, chronicling her public life and producing photographs of views all over Spain.

Inscriptions

written in pencil on verso: "Temple in the Court of the Lions. Alhambra Palace 'Granada' 75"

Exhibition history

Al-Andalus: Art from Islamic Spain (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 29, 2019-October 25, 2020).

Quick Overview

Artist: Charles Clifford (British, 1819–1883)
Date: 1857–58
Medium: albumen print from wet collodion negative
Dimensions: Image: 29.5 x 40.7 cm (11 5/8 x 16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.)
Type: Photograph
Classification: Photograph
Department: Photography
Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
Accession no.: 1999.113

Provenance

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s open-access data does not include an ownership history for this work. See the museum’s page for this work.

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.