AlbumsIranian16th century

Recumbent Lioness

early to mid-16th century

Description

The subject of the recumbent lioness is known from a corpus of drawings and paintings executed during the late Timurid and Safavid periods. With slight variations, these artworks depict the lioness in a pose of relaxation, tethered by a chain attached to a belled collar. The drawings share a technique that uses stippling or short lines (without hatching) to convey the contours and mass of the lioness as well as the texture of her coat. In this example, fine lines and dots of reddish brown, black, and white have been applied over the ivory-colored paper. Around the muzzle, ear tips, belly, and rump, white opaque watercolor is introduced, contrasting with the lines and dots and lending the drawing greater depth. The lioness’s eyes, collar, and chain are accented with gold. Now mounted on a sheet of modern paper, the drawing lacks any trace of a signature or attribution, but it can be linked through a sequence of closely related works to a prototype originated by the renowned artist Kamal al-Din Bihzad (d. 1535–36). Two extant examples carry credible attributions to Bizhad, and more are either ascribed to him or signed by other artists, such as Murad or Shah Muhammad Isfahani. Judging by the number of imitative responses, the recumbent lioness was one of Bihzad’s most appreciated artworks, whose resonance endured into the seventeenth century.

Classification

Albums

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Culture

Iranian

Period

Safavid period

Century

16th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

14.5 x 20.8 cm (5 11/16 x 8 3/16 in.)

Provenance

Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1998-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002.

Related Artworks

Albums

Dragon in Foliage (drawing, recto); calligraphy, (verso)

Mir Sayyid Muhammad Naqqash, 1520-1550

Black ink, watercolor and gold on off-white paper

16th centuryOttoman

Albums

Cover of the album "Fishes of India"

Unknown Artist, c. 1810

Leather

19th centuryIndian

Albums

Folio 27 from an Album of Drawings and Paintings: Two sheets: male and female drum players (recto); Blank page (verso)

Unknown Artist, 19th century

Left: brown and light red inks over graphite; pricked and verso rubbed with red chalk; Right: brown ink and blue colored pencil on off-white wove paper; pricked and rubbed with red chalk (recto)

19th centuryPersian