Layla Visiting Majnun in the Desert

This early and remarkable print depicts the tragic story of Layla and Majnun, a romance much beloved in both the Persian and Indian worlds. The story recounts the deep love of a 7th century Bedouin poet Qays, nicknamed Majnun (‘crazy’), and his childhood love, the beautiful Layla. The artist, one of the pioneers in the use lithography in Calcutta, depicts an imagined encounter of the ill-fated lovers. Layla, dressed in fine clothes, is seen visiting the emaciated Majnun. She holds her hand to her mouth, signaling her distress at seeing her lover in this state. An open book of prayer lies before them, with pseudo-Persian writing. They are seated beneath a spreading tree to which Layla’s camel is tethered. The remainder of the picture is plain, with no suggestion of the harsh desert landscape and the wild animals that befriended Majnun—that typically appear in paintings of this subject. The drawing technique imitates woodcut prints and it is likely that the artist was accustomed to working in that medium before applying himself to lithography.