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Royal Horse Inspection

Watercolor of tiny people and horses, framed with gold flowers on navy background.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • Watercolor of tiny people and horses, framed with gold flowers on navy background.

Date:

Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), late 17th century

Artist:

Iran, probably Isfahan
Ali Quli Jabbadar

About this artwork

The setting for the painting is the royal stables in Isfahan. The upper portion of the scene consists of a platform on which are gathered the shah, or Persian king, who appears next to the column on the right; five kneeling courtiers; and various attendants serving fruit and wine. The king is identified in the artist’s signature at the upper left as Shah ‘Abbas II, who died in 1666, but it is possible that the undated painting was executed after his death. The ruler’s status is emphasized by his golden halo and by the opulent gold and jeweled vessels placed before him. The lower portion shows a roundup of horses who bear the trident-like royal brand on their flanks; they move in a spiral that coils counterclockwise from the upper right. The scene bursts with energy and looks chaotic—a brawl is taking place at the lower left—but the courtiers and handlers seem to be getting control of the animals. The figures on the platform, meanwhile, pay no attention to the commotion below.

The painting represents a new journalistic, even anecdotal approach to Persian painting introduced in the second half of the seventeenth century. The viewer gets the sense that the work may record a specific moment in daily life at court and that it was observed firsthand. Figures no longer conform to stock types but are highly individualized by facial features and dress. Standing just to the right of center in the upper part of the roundup scene is a man wearing a gold, fur-lined, armless jacket. He holds a list and is writing notes while conferring with a young man in a blue robe. The man taking notes may well be the supervisor of the royal stud, one of whose responsibilities was to inspect the king’s stables and keep an inventory of the animals.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

'Aliquli Jabbadar

Title

Royal Horse Inspection

Place

Iran (Influence from)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1650–1675

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions

Page: 46.8 × 31.1 cm, Painting: 23.1 × 17 cm (Page: 18 1/2 × 12 1/4 in., Painting: 9 1/8 × 6 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1919.945

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/76869/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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