Youth Seated by a Willow; Single Page Illustration
c. 1600–1650
Medium
ink, gold, and colors on paper
Dimensions
image: 15 × 9.6 cm · sheet: 33.5 × 21.9 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1947.499
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
A new aesthetic developed under the socially and economically conscious Shah ’Abbas I (reigned 1587–1629). Single polychrome paintings of elegantly clad youth were produced in considerable number during the 1600s, primarily for people with means who collected them and had them mounted in albums. Instead of functioning as portraits, the images of these courtly figures express ideals of youth and beauty. This young man’s lavish sash and turban enriched with costly gold thread proclaim his high sta...