The Hindu : Arts / Art : 19th century painting of Delhi’s mosque under hammer
AP This image provided by Sotheby's shows "Pearl Mosque at Delhi," a giant painting by Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchagin.
A giant painting of New Delhi’s Moti masjid, the most accomplished work from Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchagin’s famed Indian series, will be the highlight of a Sotheby’s auction here next month and is expected to fetch USD 5 million.
The sale of important Russian art on November 1 will see the monumental work — measuring approximately 13 by 16 feet — on offer from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, along with seven works.
The painting of the mosque, which is inside the Red Fort in Delhi, has been put on view in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning Wednesday, alongside the full sale exhibition.
“We are thrilled to offer this true masterwork from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts,” said Sonya Bekkerman, head of Sotheby’s Russian paintings department here.
“Beyond its astonishing size, the pearl mosque at Delhi represents pure painterly perfection. For an artist made famous by his provocative images of war, the work showcases Vereshchagin’s supreme versatility, and underscores his position as one of the leading visual historians of the 19th century.”
Vereshchagin, considered one of the most famous of Russian painters, embarked on a two-year journey to India in 1874 with his wife. His Indian series features numerous depictions of architectural monuments, all of which he realistically captured with painstaking attention to detail.
A giant painting of New Delhi’s Moti masjid, the most accomplished work from Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchagin’s famed Indian series, will be the highlight of a Sotheby’s auction here next month and is expected to fetch USD 5 million.
The sale of important Russian art on November 1 will see the monumental work — measuring approximately 13 by 16 feet — on offer from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, along with seven works.
The painting of the mosque, which is inside the Red Fort in Delhi, has been put on view in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning Wednesday, alongside the full sale exhibition.
“We are thrilled to offer this true masterwork from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts,” said Sonya Bekkerman, head of Sotheby’s Russian paintings department here.
“Beyond its astonishing size, the pearl mosque at Delhi represents pure painterly perfection. For an artist made famous by his provocative images of war, the work showcases Vereshchagin’s supreme versatility, and underscores his position as one of the leading visual historians of the 19th century.”
Vereshchagin, considered one of the most famous of Russian painters, embarked on a two-year journey to India in 1874 with his wife. His Indian series features numerous depictions of architectural monuments, all of which he realistically captured with painstaking attention to detail.
