DrawingsPersian16th century

Seated Sufi

c. 1595

Artists

Aqa Riza (Riza ‘Abbasi)Artist

Description

With a remarkable economy of means, this drawing presents a bearded man in an apparent state of meditation, seated before the tools of a scribe. His tall, bell-shaped cap suggests an affiliation with a Sufi or dervish order. Flowing lines of varying thicknesses define the mass of his body, while minute and delicate brush strokes suggest the textures of his beard, shaven head, and light shawl. Based on the exquisite calligraphic freedom of line coupled with a portrayal of a trance-like state, this drawing has been attributed to Aqa Riza (Riza Abbasi) by Stuart Cary Welch, and Sheila Canby.

Classification

Drawings

Medium

Black ink on off-white paper

Culture

Persian

Period

Safavid period

Century

16th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

32 x 20 cm (12 5/8 x 7 7/8 in.)

Provenance

Stuart Cary Welch, Jr., Warner, New Hampshire (by April 1, 1969-2008), by inheritance; to Edith I. Welch, Warner, New Hampshire (2008-2011), gift; to Harvard Art Museums 2011.

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