Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh

1858

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh is a 1858 by Felice A. Beato, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Felice A. Beato
When & what style?: 1858 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white photo of a small mosque inside a ruined palace in Lucknow, India. Broken walls, scattered stones, and a lone tree fill the frame. The palace was built in the 1840s for a local ruler, then damaged during a violent uprising against British rule in 1857. The photo was taken just a year later, when the dust had barely settled. It’s one of the earliest war photographs—raw, not staged. To see how other photographers documented conflict, look up Felice A. Beato (British, 1830–1906).

The story of this work

Overview

Built for Wajid Ali Shah (1847–1856), between 1848 to 1850, Kaiserbagh Palace is a fine example of 1800s architecture in Lucknow, northern India. Parts of Kaiserbagh Palace were destroyed during the Indian Rebellion (an uprising against British rule), also known as the First War of Independence in 1857. This photograph captures the small mosque of the palace after the British siege of the city. Mosques are Muslim places of worship, used for five daily prayers, teaching the Qur’an, and community gatherings. The small mosque in the Kaiserbagh complex, however, served primarily the ruler’s…

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Felice A. Beato

Felice A. Beato and Felice Antonio Beato are collective signatures used by the brothers Felice Beato and Antonio Beato, who were both pioneering photographers in the 19th century. They were noted for their depictions of…

See the richer artist page