Pearl Mosque at Delhi

The Pearl Mosque (Moti Masjid in Urdu) is in the Red Fort in Delhi. Completed in 1648, the Red Fort features a combination of Indian, Persian, and European architectural styles and remains one of the most iconic monuments in India. The Pearl Mosque was added to the grounds in 1659 as a private mosque for Emperor Aurangzeb. It is a relatively small mosque enclosed within the high walls of the Red Fort of Delhi. The mosque was constructed with white marble, with bulbous domes and overemphasized finials that were once covered in gilded copper. 

The Pearl Mosque at Delhi, originally titled The Private Mosque of the Great Moguls in the Palace of Delhi is a significant work by the 19th-century Russian painter, Vasily Vereshchagin. Vereshchagin was a naval soldier in the Imperial Russian Army and a talented realist painter who earned worldwide acclaim for his depictions of historical and contemporary battle scenes. He travelled extensively and was one of the first Russian painters to gain recognition for his works outside of his home country. Though best known for his depictions of war, Vereshchagin's dexterity is showcased in this overwhelmingly peaceful composition that is believed to be the most accomplished work from his journey to India. 

Vereshchagin visited the Pearl Mosque during his travels in India and was mesmerized by the immaculate white marble walls on all sides and the solemn effect of the light. He rendered these marble walls and floors in painstaking detail under diffused light. The clothes of the men praying in the portico sharply contrasts against the otherwise large masses of white. The sheer magnitude and explicit detail of Vereshchagin's Pearl Mosque at Delhi left a tremendous impression worldwide.

- Maya Tola

P.S. Travel through India with Vasily Vereshchagin here. <3