Drawings of kneeling figures in landscape proliferated in the first quarter of the seventeenth century in Iran. Often, but not exclusively, the figures are men drinking, reading poetry or holding a flower or fruit, as in this work. Intended for inclusion in an album, the drawing may have faced another work of a related subject, perhaps a person receiving the fruit proffered by the kneeling man. The figure's pear-shaped thighs and the line of variable thickness recall works by Riza-yi 'Abbasi (fl. 1589–1635).
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11.6.2
Artwork Details
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Title:Seated Man in the Wilderness
Date:first half 17th century
Geography:Attributed to Iran, Isfahan
Medium:Ink and gold on paper
Dimensions:H. 4 in. (10.2 cm) W. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification:Codices
Credit Line:Gift of Tabbagh Frères, 1911
Accession Number:11.6.2
Seated Man in the Wilderness
This drawing consists of the most popular formula in the single-male-figure category: the isolated image of a middle-aged man, seated in a contemplative mood in an outdoor setting. The formula includes the offering of fruit, a cup, a book, or other object.[1] Judging from the finesse of the drawing of the face and the fluid, calligraphic drawing of the turban and the body, a follower of Reza 'Abbasi was probably responsible for the Museum's example.
There is no evidence to prove or disprove the religious vocation of these pensive, middle-aged men. Yet one cannot fail to note some degree of spirituality in the way these figures are perceived, as if to present their image as an example of the behavior and countenance of the faithful: "The faithful is the mirror of the faithful."[2] While in that case it is the Sufi seeing himself in his brethren, here we are urged to find role models in the image of the wise old man.
[Swietochowski and Babaie 1989]
1. See MMA no. 13.228.34; Atil, Esin. The Brush of the Masters: Drawings from iran and India. Exhib. cat. The Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1978, fig. 20; and Sotheby's, April 27, 1981, lot 47, to cite just a few.
2. Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill, 1975, p. 228.
Tabbagh Frères, Paris and New York (until 1911; gifted to MMA)
Bloomington. Indiana University. "Islamic Art Across the World," June 18, 1970–October 1, 1970, no. 93.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Persian Drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 13–December 31, 1989, no. 30.
Bowie, Theodore Robert. "An Exhibition Prepared by Theodore Bowie." In Islamic Art Across the World. Vol. no. 1970/3. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Art Museum, June 17 to Oct. 1, 1970. no. 93.
Swietochowski, Marie, and Sussan Babaie. Persian Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. no. 30, pp. 70–71, ill. pl. 30 (b/w).
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