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Groom and Rider

1540–50
Not on view
The subject of horseman and groom is common in Safavid art. The rider’s handsome appearance and elegant posture embody the ideal of youthful beauty, while the groom’s sprightly step and animated expression add liveliness to the drawing. Although the minimal ornamentation suggests that this was a preliminary sketch, the precision of the line and the attention to texture allow it to stand on its own as a finished work.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Groom and Rider
  • Date: 1540–50
  • Geography: Attributed to Iran, Tabriz
  • Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: Painting: H. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm)
    W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
    Page: H. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm)
    W. 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm)
    Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm)
    W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Gift of George D. Pratt, 1925
  • Object Number: 25.83.5
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

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"The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Sultan Muhammad
ca. 1525
"Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio 434v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio 434v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Qasim ibn 'Ali
ca. 1530
"Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Sultan Muhammad
ca. 1525
"The Wedding of Siyavush and Farangis", Folio 185v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"The Wedding of Siyavush and Farangis", Folio 185v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1525–30
"The Final Joust of the Rooks: Gudarz Versus Piran", Folio 346r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"The Final Joust of the Rooks: Gudarz Versus Piran", Folio 346r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1525–30

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