"A Youth Fallen From a Tree", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album

Painting by Aqa Riza Iranian
Calligrapher Mir 'Ali Haravi
verso: ca. 1610; recto: ca. 1530
Not on view
Attempting to climb to a bird's nest, a boy fell from the tree to his death. A sufi tries to console the grieving father. The artist, from Herat, came to India and entered Jahangir's service when the emperor was still a prince. While he tried to conform to Mughal taste, and in some pictures succeeded, here the deeply rooted harmoniousness of Perisan painting has prevailed, and the basic lyricism of the style outweighs the tragedy of the event depicted. Jahangir's Mughal reference for sensitive naturalism was encouraged, cultivated, and perfected by Aqa Riza's son, Abu al-Hasan, to whom Jahangir awarded the honorific title of Nadir-i Zaman - the wonder of the age.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "A Youth Fallen From a Tree", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album
  • Artist: Painting by Aqa Riza (Iranian, born Meshhed, ca. 1560, active until ca. 1621)
  • Calligrapher: Mir 'Ali Haravi (died ca. 1550)
  • Date: verso: ca. 1610; recto: ca. 1530
  • Geography: Attributed to India
  • Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: H. 15 3/8 in. (39 cm)
    W. 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955
  • Object Number: 55.121.10.20
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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