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Lot Essay
The paintings in this manuscript include:
1. Shapur lauds the beauty of Khusraw before Shirin, signed Reza ‘Abbasi
2. Khusraw spies Shirin bathing
3. Majnun’s Father brings him to the Ka’ba
4. Bahram Gur slays the lion
5. Bahram Gur in the Black Pavilion
6. Bahram Gur in the Yellow Pavilion
7. Bahram Gur in the Turquoise Pavilion
8. Bahram Gur in the Sandalwood Pavilion
9. Bahram Gur in the White Pavilion
10. Alexander with the dying Darius
11. Alexander with Nushabe
12. Alexander battles the Divs
Reza ‘Abbasi (circa 1565-1635) was the chief proponent of what became known as the Isfahan school of painting and was closely associated with Shah Abbas I (r.1588 – 1629). His lyrical figures and with soft outlines often filled with bright colours are features echoed in the illustrations found in our manuscript. The signed illustration of Shapur telling Shirin of the beauty of Khusraw carries a number of features common to other works by Reza ‘Abbasi. The depiction of a pair of birds perched on thin branches decorating the archway above Shirin can be closely paralleled in an earlier illustration for the Makhzan al-Asrar dated to circa 1618 and with a colophon attributing the work to Reza ‘Abbasi (Sheila R. Canby, The Rebellious Reformer. The drawings and paintings of Riza-yi 'Abbasi of Isfahan, London, 1996, Cat.69, p. 118). The depiction of Bahram Gur seated cross-legged in the green pavilion is also similar to the pose in which nobleman is depicted in a picnic party by Reza ‘Abbasi and dated to circa 1612 (Sheila R. Canby, op.cit. cat. 55 right, p. 101). The size of the turban and the cummerbund on the figure of Bahram Gur in our manuscript are slightly less elaborate. The fact that both the picnic scene and the illustrations to the Makhzan al-Asrar are dated approximately 10 years prior to our work could account for the slight differences in style. It is also possible that Reza ‘Abbasi in his later years supervised the production of these illustrations in collaboration with other artists from his studio.
1. Shapur lauds the beauty of Khusraw before Shirin, signed Reza ‘Abbasi
2. Khusraw spies Shirin bathing
3. Majnun’s Father brings him to the Ka’ba
4. Bahram Gur slays the lion
5. Bahram Gur in the Black Pavilion
6. Bahram Gur in the Yellow Pavilion
7. Bahram Gur in the Turquoise Pavilion
8. Bahram Gur in the Sandalwood Pavilion
9. Bahram Gur in the White Pavilion
10. Alexander with the dying Darius
11. Alexander with Nushabe
12. Alexander battles the Divs
Reza ‘Abbasi (circa 1565-1635) was the chief proponent of what became known as the Isfahan school of painting and was closely associated with Shah Abbas I (r.1588 – 1629). His lyrical figures and with soft outlines often filled with bright colours are features echoed in the illustrations found in our manuscript. The signed illustration of Shapur telling Shirin of the beauty of Khusraw carries a number of features common to other works by Reza ‘Abbasi. The depiction of a pair of birds perched on thin branches decorating the archway above Shirin can be closely paralleled in an earlier illustration for the Makhzan al-Asrar dated to circa 1618 and with a colophon attributing the work to Reza ‘Abbasi (Sheila R. Canby, The Rebellious Reformer. The drawings and paintings of Riza-yi 'Abbasi of Isfahan, London, 1996, Cat.69, p. 118). The depiction of Bahram Gur seated cross-legged in the green pavilion is also similar to the pose in which nobleman is depicted in a picnic party by Reza ‘Abbasi and dated to circa 1612 (Sheila R. Canby, op.cit. cat. 55 right, p. 101). The size of the turban and the cummerbund on the figure of Bahram Gur in our manuscript are slightly less elaborate. The fact that both the picnic scene and the illustrations to the Makhzan al-Asrar are dated approximately 10 years prior to our work could account for the slight differences in style. It is also possible that Reza ‘Abbasi in his later years supervised the production of these illustrations in collaboration with other artists from his studio.