[Mosque at Sultaniye, [same as 46] ]

Art Historical Context

**Mosque at Sultaniye *Luigi Pesce, 1840s–60s, Albumen silver print*Metropolitan Museum of Art, of Charles K. and B. Wilkinson, 1977 Captured by Italian photographer Luigi Pes during his travels in Persia (modern-day Iran) in the mid-19th century, albumen silver print beautifully documents the majestic Mosque at Sultaniyeh. One of Persia's architectural treasures from the Ilkhanid (early 14th century), the mosque—part of the UNESCO-listed Soltaniyeh complex—is renowned for its colossal turquoise-tiled dome, one of the largest brick domes in the world. Pesce's image preserves this Islamic architectural marvel at a time when Western photographers were pioneering visual records of the Orient, bridging European curiosity with Eastern heritage. The albumen silver print, a hallmark of 19th-century photography, uses egg whites to bind light-sensitive silver salts, yielding sharp details, rich tones, and subtle gradations that highlight the mosque's intricate tilework and soaring minarets. Pesce's precise composition emphasizes the structure's grandeur against the vast landscape, offering museum visitors a window into Qajar-era Persia. This rare photograph not only showcases early photographic innovation but also underscores the cultural exchange of the era, inviting us to appreciate the enduring splendor of Islamic design.

About the Artist

Luigi Pesce · 1818–1891

**Luigi Pesce (1828–1864)** was an Italian colonel and pioneering amateur photographer from Naples in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, whose work captured some of the earliest images of Iran's ancient monuments and 19th-century life. Arriving in Persia in 1848 during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, Pesce was tasked with training Iranian infantry units, a mission that positioned him ideally t...