Moʿin Moṣavver | Individual Drawings and Paintings
Painting 1673.3
A Lightly Clad Maiden Reclining Against Some Cushions
Location: Current whereabouts unknown.
Painting: (H x W) 9.3 x 19.0 cm.
Signature: Reportedly signed and dated 1084/1673.
Inscription
The reproduction in the Sothebys catalog is too small and the inscription is illegible. Accordingly, we are dependent on the accuracy of the Sothebys catalog data. The inscription is barely visible at the bottom left, just below the pillows, and reportedly includes Moʿin's signature and the date 1084/1673.
Description:
A young woman, scantily but elegantely clad in sheer dress, is reclining on the ground leaning on two bolsters, one of which is finely decorated with birds and foliage. She gazes to the left holding a small bowl in her right hand, and the neck of a long necked bottle in her left. A small dish, and some fruit are spread before her. The nearly monochromatic setting, drawn in light brown on a plain ground, consists of scroll clouds and foliage. The painting is reportedly mounted on a leaf from a manuscript page of Persian poetry.
Bibliography:
Sothebys London, 23 April 1997, Lot 30
Commentary:
This painting is a variant of an earlier work of Moʿin (1664.1), which varies only in some details. The woman in the earlier version was an Indian; here she appears to be Iranian. Here also the waterpipe is absent, only one of the cushions is decorated, and the jewelry is more austere. Whether the present painting is a another less elaborate version of the subject executed by Moʿin, or a work of a follower, is not possible to determine from the current reproduction. One needs to see a larger, better quality image, in order to judge the quality of the draftsmanship, to read the inscription, and evaluate if it is indeed Moʿin's handwriting. It may very well be a bona fide work of Moʿin, but one cannot at this juncture make that call.
Photo after Sothebys,
Robert Eng
Last Updated: April 29, 2019 | Originally published: April 29, 2019
Painting 1673.3
A Lightly Clad Maiden Reclining Against Some Cushions
Location: Current whereabouts unknown.
Painting: (H x W) 9.3 x 19.0 cm.
Signature: Reportedly signed and dated 1084/1673.
Inscription
The reproduction in the Sothebys catalog is too small and the inscription is illegible. Accordingly, we are dependent on the accuracy of the Sothebys catalog data. The inscription is barely visible at the bottom left, just below the pillows, and reportedly includes Moʿin's signature and the date 1084/1673.
Description:
A young woman, scantily but elegantely clad in sheer dress, is reclining on the ground leaning on two bolsters, one of which is finely decorated with birds and foliage. She gazes to the left holding a small bowl in her right hand, and the neck of a long necked bottle in her left. A small dish, and some fruit are spread before her. The nearly monochromatic setting, drawn in light brown on a plain ground, consists of scroll clouds and foliage. The painting is reportedly mounted on a leaf from a manuscript page of Persian poetry.
Bibliography:
Sothebys London, 23 April 1997, Lot 30
Commentary:
This painting is a variant of an earlier work of Moʿin (1664.1), which varies only in some details. The woman in the earlier version was an Indian; here she appears to be Iranian. Here also the waterpipe is absent, only one of the cushions is decorated, and the jewelry is more austere. Whether the present painting is a another less elaborate version of the subject executed by Moʿin, or a work of a follower, is not possible to determine from the current reproduction. One needs to see a larger, better quality image, in order to judge the quality of the draftsmanship, to read the inscription, and evaluate if it is indeed Moʿin's handwriting. It may very well be a bona fide work of Moʿin, but one cannot at this juncture make that call.
Photo after Sothebys,
Robert Eng
Last Updated: April 29, 2019 | Originally published: April 29, 2019
