Folio from a Gulistan (Rosegarden) by Sa’di; recto: A prince riding; verso: text

Maker(s)
Artist: Attributed to Balchand
Calligrapher: Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Shah Jahan, Text dated 1468, paintings repainted ca. 1645
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H x W (page): 24.6 x 16 cm (9 11/16 x 6 5/16 in)
Geography
India and Iran
Credit Line
Gift of the Art and History Trust in honor of Ezzat-Malek Soudavar
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1998.5.65
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Gulistan, horse, horseman, India, Iran, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), prince, Reign of Shah Jahan (1628 - 1658), WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

This composition is by Payag's brother, Balchand, another of Shah-Jahan's celebrated painters. More traditional in style than his brother, Balchand avoided the use of European techniques and was particularly renowned for the richly textured surfaces of his paintings and his fine portraits of the Mughal imperial family.  In the Gulistan, Balchand's sensitive portrayal of the two main figures--a prince and a lovesick youth--has resulted in an intense and emotionally charged pictorial equivalent of Sa'di's anecdote on the nature of love.

Published References
  • Masters of Indian Painting. Exh. cat. Zurich. vol. 1: pp. 337-356, fig. 9.
  • John Seyller. Journal of the David Collection. vol. 3, Copenhagen. pp. 130-159, fig. 3.
  • Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. p. 151, fig. 3.
  • Abolala Soudavar, Milo Cleveland Beach. Art of the Persian Court: Selections from the Art and History Trust Collection. New York. cat. 136, p. 337.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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