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Yusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Text Page, Persian Verses (verso)
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Yusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Text Page, Persian Verses (verso)

c. 1556–65 · Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

The painting quotes verses from the Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) by the Persian poet Jami, a classic of Persian literature, here illustrating the romance of Yusuf and Zulaykha. Originally rooted in the Qur’an (Surah Yusuf, chapter 12), the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) encounters the wife of the Egyptian governor, traditionally identified as Zulaykha, both seated opposite each other on the right, framed by architecture.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineYusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Text Page, Persian Verses (verso), c. 1556–65. Iran, Shiraz or Mashhad, Safavid period (1501–1722). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; sheet: 29.8 x 17.3 cm (11 3/4 x 6 13/16 in.); image: 21.3 x 15.3 cm (8 3/8 x 6 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1947.501
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