Muhammad Baqir
Roses and Nightingale

Roses and Nightingale

Public Domain

Roses and Nightingale
ArtistPersian, active 1740s–1800s
CulturePersian
Titles
  • Roses and Nightingale
Datelate 18th century
MediumInk and watercolor on paper
DimensionsSheet: 7 5/16 × 4 9/16 in. (18.6 × 11.6 cm)
 Mount: 12 3/4 × 8 7/16 in. (32.4 × 21.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Nasrin and Abolala Soudavar
Object number2015.97
Not on view

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Department
Art of the Islamic Worlds
Object Type
DescriptionThe rose—referred to as the “king of beauty” by the great poet Hafiz—occupies a special place in Persian culture, and the association of the rose with the nightingale (gul u bulbul) comprises one of the most cherished motifs in the artistic and literary traditions of Iran. Gul u bulbul paintings became highly fashionable in the Zand period in the late 18th-century, particularly in the capital city Shiraz, which is famed for its gardens and has long been associated with roses and nightingales. In Persian mystical poetry, the nightingale’s yearning and devotion for the rose is often interpreted as the soul’s longing for union with God. It also serves as a cautionary tale against the fleeting beauty and vanity of an earthly beloved and love’s cruelty.
ProvenanceAbolala Soudavar, Houston; given to MFAH, 2015.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Recto: Signed in black ink, left center bottom edge [enclosed in four lobed cartouche]
Recto: Signed in black ink, upper center of mount [enclosed in illuminated cartouche, in different hand than above]

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