Roses and Nightingale

Public Domain

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Artist Muhammad Baqir(Persian, active 1740s–1800s)Persian, active 1740s–1800s

CultureIranian

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

WORKS ON PAPER

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]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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