Moʿin Moṣavver | Individual Drawings and Paintings

Painting 1672.2

A Resting Lion

Location: Toronto, Aga Khan Museum, AKM111
Drawing: ink on paper, watercolor, and gold on paper. (H x W) 14.1 x 22.5 cm.
Signature: Unsigned but dated 1082/1672.

Inscription
Left side: dar šab-e yek šanba čaḥār dahom-e šavvāl ba eqbāl sana 1082 .... Translation: “The night of Sunday the fourteenth of the lucky month of šavvāl of the year 1082 / Saturday 13 February 1672 ..." The inscription is in Moʿin’s handwriting, but the remainder of the inscription appears to have been trimmed in mounting.

Description:
The forequarters of a lion, magnificiently portrayed by just a few fluid outlines, that contrast with the shorter, finer strokes that describe the details of the body. It is a tour-de-force capturing the essential qualities of the lion.

Bibliography:
None

Commentary:
The Aga Khan Museum, rightly so, attributes this drawing to Moʿin Moṣavver. The lion depicted unmistakably resembles the feline shown in another drawing signed by Moʿin, perhaps his most famous drawing, only a month earlier - cf. 1672.1 - the same view, near-exact portrayal of features, and the same style of line. Big cats did not appear in his work prior to 1672, except for one scene in a Shahnameh dated to 1666 (mss.F, 6-410). Post 1672 there are three more occasions: 1676.1, 1677.1, 1692.1.

Photo Copyright © 2018 Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada

Robert Eng
Last Updated: March 29, 2019 | Originally published: March 29, 2019