Artwork Page for The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album

Details / Information for The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album

The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album

c. 1670

India, Mughal, 17th century

Medium
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 32 x 24.4 cm (12 5/8 x 9 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.332
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Joseph, the man of Zulaykha’s dreams, is dressed as a Mughal prince.

Description

In Islamic texts, as in the Hebrew and Christian Old Testament traditions, Zulaykha is the unnamed wife of Potiphar, a wealthy Egyptian. This scene is from a popular Persian poem that recounts the story of Joseph and Zulaykha as a mystical romance, and describes her visionary dreams of a beautiful lover. In this painting we see the luxuriously dressed Zulaykha asleep on a terrace, reclining on ornate pillows as a vision of her love, Joseph, appears before her. He is illuminated by radiant light cast down by angels emerging from the dark night clouds.
A vertically oriented tempera painting depicts a man standing over a woman with light skin tone, who reclines, eyes closed, against two rectangular pillows on a carpet, all floral patterned. The man with light skin tone stands on our left, looking at her, with a gold band behind his head as two winged beings with light skin tones hover against a cloudy night sky, gold rays extending from their hands toward the man.

The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album

c. 1670

India, Mughal, 17th century

See Also

  • Collection
    Indian
  • Department
    Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Type of artwork
    Painting
  • Medium
    Tempera
  • Credit line
    Gift In Honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by Exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

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