A Bearded Man Leaning on a Crutch

Artists

Description

This diminutive drawing depicts a bearded man who leans on a crutch, perhaps because of age or lameness. He has tucked a book into the chest of his caftan, which he holds with both hands. From his belted sash hangs a case and tassels. The drawing is mostly in black ink except for the headgear, crutch, and the sash, which are drawn in red ink. The boots are painted with an opaque red color and gold is applied in a small area on the head gear. The red color of his boots definitely draws attention and perhaps had a special meaning in the original context. The drawing has been attributed by S. C. Welch to Shaykh Muhammad, who had also worked on two important manuscripts produced for Shah Tahmasb. The drawing is too large to have been a preparatory sketch for a miniature painting, and perhaps demonstrates the transition to single figure drawings destined for albums.

Dimensions

10.3 x 9.5 cm (4 1/16 x 3 3/4 in.)

Provenance

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