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A marbled picture of Rustam catching Rakhsh
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This scene depicts the young hero Rustam catching a foal, Rakhsh (meaning “light”), who will be his faithful companion through many adventures. A prophet-like shepherd figure with a staff at the upper left predicts that Rustam will be the savior of Iran. At the top of the page a feline has caught its prey, while a hunter steps on its tail. This extraordinary painting has more applications of marbled colorant than any other known example. Even all the flowers and birds have been articulated through marbling in a feat of registration and control by a master of the technique.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineA marbled picture of Rustam catching Rakhsh, c. 1650. Attributed to Shafi (Indian, active about 1650). Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 37.2 x 21 cm (14 5/8 x 8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, 2013.286
