Taj Mahal by Moonlight

Taj Mahal by Moonlight, created in 1916, presents Shah Jahan's marble mausoleum under the conditions that many regard as its most magical: bathed in the silvery blue light of a full moon, with the white marble glowing against the dark sky and the still water of the reflecting pool creating a perfect doubled image. Moonlit viewing of the Taj Mahal was a tradition that predated tourism, originating with the Mughal court itself.

Bartlett's oban woodblock print exploits the medium's exceptional capacity for rendering nocturnal atmosphere. The bokashi shading technique, where pigment is graduated across the block's surface, allows the printer to create smooth transitions from the deep indigo of the night sky to the pale luminosity of moonlit marble. The monochromatic palette of blues, silvers, and whites reduces the Taj Mahal to its essential forms, the great dome, the flanking minarets, the long reflecting channel, all rendered as shapes of light against the surrounding darkness. This is among Bartlett's most technically accomplished prints.