Artwork Page for Persian Couplets (recto); Sleeping Youth (verso)

Details / Information for Persian Couplets (recto); Sleeping Youth (verso)

Persian Couplets (recto); Sleeping Youth (verso)

late 1500s–early 1600s
(Iranian)
Measurements
Image: 21 x 12.4 cm (8 1/4 x 4 7/8 in.); Overall: 31.6 x 20.4 cm (12 7/16 x 8 1/16 in.); Text area: 21 x 12.4 cm (8 1/4 x 4 7/8 in.)
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view

Description

Under Shah Abbas, the tradition in which painting was employed to illustrate a literary work was all but abandoned. In its place came a new concern with single-page illustrations, such as this one, which have no specific content or meaning. They often illustrate albums of collections of verses about love and beauty, in which these themes often appear to serve as allegories of things divine.
One book page features diagonal black Persian calligraphy within a multi-layered blue, red, and gold floral border. The opposite page depicts a youth with a light skin tone in an orange robe sleeping against a willow tree on green ground before a purple hill. This painting is framed by a light blue border with gold motifs. Both pages are surrounded by wide margins decorated with intricate gold vine patterns on tan and light blue.

Persian Couplets (recto); Sleeping Youth (verso)

late 1500s–early 1600s

Riza-yi Abbasi

(Iranian)
Iran, Isfahan, Safavid period (1501-1722)

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