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Lot Essay
This fine miniature and the following lot could be the early work of Reza 'Abbasi, probably executed in around the year 1590 to 1595 or that of a pupil. Their close parallel is a coloured drawing of a young woman with a veil, in which the woman has the same downwards gaze and graceful turn of the head as the present painting. (Soudavar, A.: Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, no.109, pp.270-1.) Although unsigned, as are the present pieces, the miniature has generally been accepted as being in the hand of Reza himself. The faces and headdress of the women are particularly similar.
Beautiful young men and women were typical subjects for Reza's early work. At least two other paintings which may be compared with the present miniature and which are both signed and dated to around 1600 are, a drawing of A Seated Youth also holding a long necked wine flask and gold cup (Soudavar, op.cit., no.104, p.265); A Barefoot Youth in similar pose to the lady's (Soudavar, op.cit., no.107, pp.268-9).
Beautiful young men and women were typical subjects for Reza's early work. At least two other paintings which may be compared with the present miniature and which are both signed and dated to around 1600 are, a drawing of A Seated Youth also holding a long necked wine flask and gold cup (Soudavar, op.cit., no.104, p.265); A Barefoot Youth in similar pose to the lady's (Soudavar, op.cit., no.107, pp.268-9).