"Jonah and the Whale", Folio from a Jami al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)

Art Historical Context

In this folio, a large dark fish swims through rippling blue waters, its scales highlighted with touches of gold and silver. On the left, a bearded man sits near a tree bearing round fruits, while a winged figure in a purple robe and orange sash reaches toward him with outstretched arms. The angel’s wings display bold bands of red and green against the watery background, and delicate flowers and foliage frame the scene in soft reds, greens, and golds. This painting comes from a Jami al-Tavarikh, or Compendium of Chronicles, created around 1400. Executed in ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper, the folio belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of Islamic Art. It illustrates the well-known story of Jonah and the Whale, a narrative shared across religious traditions and frequently depicted in Persian manuscripts of the period. The work’s lively colors and expressive figures reflect the storytelling tradition of early fifteenth-century book illustration.