Tomb of the Khan of Khiva at Teheran
1859
Medium
Albumen silver print from paper negative
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Kay Gregory, 1967
Accession Number
67.606.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1859, Italian photographer Luigi Pesce captured majestic *Tomb of the Khan Khiva at Teheran* using the then-revolutionary albumen silver print process from a paper negative. photograph, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Photographs Department (gift of Kay Gregory, 7), offers a rare early glimpse into 19th-century Persian architecture Pesce, known for his travels through the Middle East and Central Asia, expertly framed the tomb's ornate facade, highlighting its intricate tilework and domes that blend Islamic architectural traditions. The albumen silver print, popular from the 185...
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...