English: A STANDING YOUTH

SIGNED SHAYKH ABBASI, SAFAVID IRAN, DATED AH 1083/1672-73 AD

Tinted drawing, a young man in floral robe and pink turban stands in a leafy landscape with European-style building in the background and birds flying overhead, holding a sword hilt in his left hand, with signature in rectangular panel signed baha gereft cho gardid Shaykh 'Abbasi and dated 1083, laid down between light blue borders with polychrome rule on pink outer margin with gold floral and animal illumination, on turquoise card, slight stains and losses to corners, not affecting the miniature Miniature 5 7/8 x 3¼in. (14.9 x 8.3cm.); folio 12 3/8 x 8 1/8in. (31.5 x 20.6cm.)

Few details are known of the life of the artist Shaykh 'Abbasi, whose dated works show him as being active during the reigns of Shah 'Abbas II and Shah Sulayman. His style is characterised by the use of pointillism for shading and creating volume in figures, but also by his choice of subjects. There is no evidence that he worked in India yet he is the artist most often associated with the blending of Indian and Persian painting, and he frequently chose Indian men and women as his subjects. A similar portrait by Shaykh Abbasi sold in these Rooms, 10 October 2006, lot 138. The resemblence between the landscapes in the two works as well as the men depicted is remarkable.

Other examples of Shaykh 'Abbasi's work are in the Art and History Trust Collection (Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, nos.146, 147, pp.367-8), the Musée Guimet, Paris, 7166 (Mark Zebrowski, Deccani Painting, London, 1983, p.197) and in the collection of the late Edwin Binney III, (Islamic art from the collection of Edwin Binney III, Washington, 1966, no.53). Another miniature by Shaykh 'Abbasi was sold in these Rooms, 14 October 2003, lot 133.