Study for India House, the Sale Room, from Microcosm of London c. 1809

Augustus Charles Pugin made this drawing, "Study for India House, the Sale Room", with graphite on paper. The stark simplicity of graphite belies the complex scene it depicts: a bustling auction at India House, where the fortunes of empire were bought and sold. Look closely, and you can sense the energy of the room, captured through Pugin’s quick, assured lines. The architecture itself, rendered with precision, speaks to the wealth and power of the East India Company. This wasn't a finished work of art, but rather a study. Pugin used it to plan out the composition and details for a print in the series "Microcosm of London." The immediacy of the graphite allows us to glimpse the artist’s process. We see the labor of observation, the careful construction of space, and the arrangement of figures that bring the scene to life. This drawing reminds us that even seemingly simple materials can carry immense cultural weight. It challenges us to consider the relationship between artistic skill, commercial exchange, and the broader social context of imperial London.