ASCRIBED AND ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD QASIM, SAFAVID IRAN, FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

In this painting we see features typical of Muhammad Qasim’s work. The use of light green stippling instead of tufts of grass is a technique associated with the artist. It is also in evidence in other examples of his work, including the 1648 Shahnama completed for the shrine of Imam Riza at Mashhad and a painting in the British Library catalogued as circa 1650 (B.W.Robinson and Eleanor Sims, The Windsor Shahnama of 1648, London, 2007 and Sheila R. Canby, Persian Painting, London, 1993, no.67, p.105). The faces of his figures, as seen here, have very round cheeks if young (such as our temptress) and are more square-jawed if middle-aged. Our painting also shows clearly a fashion for combining polychromy and drawing that was introduced by Muhammadi, continued by Riza, and found favour into the mid-17th century (Canby, op.cit., p.107). The characteristic plane tree and sky of our painting are very closely comparable with a painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Maryam D. Ekhtiar, Priscilla P. Soucek, Sheila R. Canby and Navina Najat Haidar (eds.), Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2011, no.153, pp.226-27). That is one of only 12 paintings signed by the artist (Robinson and Sims, op.cit., p.205).

A similarly tinted drawing, signed by Muhammad Qasim, sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 119. For folios from a manuscript by Muhammad Qasim in this sale, and further discussion on the artist, please see the preceding lot.