Zuilen in de Moti Masjid in Delhi 1868 - 1900

Lala Deen Dayal made this photograph of the columns in Delhi's Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, in the late 19th century. The Moti Masjid was commissioned in 1659 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, whose reign saw both the expansion of the empire and the increasing imposition of orthodox Islam. Dayal’s photograph captures the mosque's elegant white marble columns and arches. The image creates meaning through visual codes associated with Islamic architecture, suggesting power and spiritual purity. Made in India, the photograph also reflects the influence of British colonial rule. Dayal was employed as a court photographer, first to the Maharaja of Indore, later to the British Raj. As a historian, I would research the social and political context of the Mughal Empire and British India to understand Dayal’s position as an artist navigating these complex power structures. Only then can we start to appreciate how the meaning of art is so reliant on social and institutional context.