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+{"01438940-6e4b-5dae-9321-45c0f28c82d7":{"name":"*The Aqueduct in the Forest of Belgrade, Istanbul*","description":"This painting by an anonymous Ottoman artist shows the aqueduct of Belgrade Forest outside Istanbul. Istanbul’s water was stored in the reservoirs of Belgrade Forest and conveyed to the city across a number of aqueducts like this one. Established in early Ottoman times, the Istanbul water supply system was expanded and improved throughout the Ottoman period, incorporating complex systems of reservoirs, aqueducts and supply pipes endling in fountains and waterspouts.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"021ca6c1-9f8d-5f9a-87db-f4c9193cbe1f":{"name":"Saint John the Baptist from a Deesis Tier","description":"John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus Christ and preached in the Judean desert. He lived a life of self-denial by wearing camel hair clothing and eating only locusts and wild honey. The people of the region came to him to be baptized in the Jordan River. When Jesus asked to be baptized, John proclaimed that he was not worthy of such a task and that Christ should baptize him instead. Christ insisted, however, and during the baptism the Holy Spirit descended and a voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John got into trouble when he criticized King Herod’s marriage to Herodias, who had a child from her previous marriage to Herod’s brother. Herod’s stepdaughter, Salome, convinced him to arrest John and demanded his head on a silver platter. Granting her wish, Herod ordered John beheaded. In this icon, John the Baptist stands in three-quarter profile and faces left. This icon was once part of a Deesis tier of an iconostasis and would have hung to the right of an icon of Christ in Majesty.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1450","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 115cm, Width: 34.9cm, Depth: 4.7cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Sotheby's Auction in 2006. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"026c87e2-b1b2-5050-b96e-a327d8e94473":{"name":"*A Prince Rides Out With A Hunting Party*","short_description":"Mughal emperors stressed on recording their achievements, they commissioned miniature paintings of their ancestors and invited artists to accompany them on expeditions. This miniature painting dated circa 1605 depicted prince rides out with a hunting party.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1005 / c. AD 1605","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"38.5 x 30cm","provenance":"Indian subcontinent","bibliography":"Chapman, Caroline, Gibson, Melanie, Manginis, George, McSweeney, Anna, Phillips, Charles & Iain Zaczek, *The Complete Illustrated Guide to Islamic Art and Architecture*, London: Lorenz Books, 2010: 212-213.  \nDe Guise, Lucien, *Jewels without Crowns: Mughal Gems in Miniatures*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2010.","materials":["Gouache heightened with gold on vellum"]},"03306ff5-668c-5706-a70c-d5ed5a3886c1":{"name":"The Arrival of the Mahmal","description":"The painting is after is after Konstantin Makovsky’s 1876 work, ‘The Arrival of the Holy Carpet in Cairo’ (during this period the mahmal was often referred to as ‘the holy carpet’, or ‘le tapis sacré’ in French). It is not clear whether de Mango had seen Makovsky’s work or if he had access to the original photograph from which the painting was made. However, we do know that de Mango spent time in Cairo and was greatly inspired by life in the Middle East. An engraving of Makovsky’s work by R. Brendamour also appeared in a German periodical of 1893, and de Mango may have been aware of that version as well.","type":"Painting","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"1921","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 80 cm; Width: 101cm","place_of_production":"Pera, Turkey","catalogue_holding_link":"https://khalilicollections.org/collections/hajj-%20and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/mss-1356/","keywords":["Cairo","Egypt","hajj","pilgrimage","Religion"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"03769685-706c-53a4-99dd-0ddabeddce9c":{"name":"*The Attack of Smârdan*","description":"Romania, that in the second half of the 19th century was still under Ottoman sovereignty, participated in the Russian-Ottoman of 1877-1878 war on Russia’s side. In May 1877 the Parliament declared Romania’s independence, which was recognized by the Ottoman Empire and the Great Powers at the peace congress organized in Berlin after the conflict (June – July 1878). When Romania entered the war, Nicolae Grigorescu was one of the painters hired to accompany the Romanian army. One of his best known works depicts the victory that the Romanian soldiers won against the Ottomans at Smârdan (24 January 1878). The painting, which has several variants, was based on others’ accounts because Grigorescu was sick and could not be present on the front when the battle took place.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanian History","dates":"1885","location":"Bucharest","provenance":"Romania"},"037e2e8a-4c21-57dd-b0a6-532274d43a0d":{"name":"Baalbec : engineers removing the Kaiser's commemoration stone from the Temple of Apollo","description":"British Royal Engineers at work on an ancient stone temple. Three engineers stand on the ground at the foot of a tall ladder, which leads up to a stone platform where three other engineers are removing a more recent German commemorative stone. They have attached a pulley to the top of the platform in readiness to move the stone. The composition is framed by two enormous pillars that are part of the temple.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"c.1917 - 1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 41,9 cm; width: 30,4 cm","place_of_production":"Lebanon","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["architecture","First World War","landscape","Military engineering","military personnel"],"materials":["Watercolour and ink on paper"]},"04672ba4-7861-5eb6-ae9c-d793731c3fe9":{"name":"Three drawings: *View of the Throne Salon at the Alcazar of Segovia*; *Kiosk* and *View of the Mudéjar Room at The Royal Convent of Las Huelgas (Burgos)*","alternate_name":"Tres dibujos: *Sala de Reyes del Alcázar de Segovia*; *Pabellón de las Huelgas de Burgos*; *Interior del monasterio de las Huelgas de Burgos*","description":"These three drawings by Carderera, painter of the Queen Isabel II, illustrated the Mudéjar architecture. He travelled around Spain drawing and documenting the remains and monuments of the Spanish Muslim period and Mudéjar style. These designs had an important influence in the development in the Neo-Mudéjar style.","type":"Drawing","holder":"Lázaro Galdiano Museum","dates":"1850; 1820–1880","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Segovia and Burgos","author":"Ámparo López","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"051a1449-1c86-578a-b00f-63151a22996d":{"name":"Shapur besieges a fortress of the Ghassanid king Ta’ir","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Shapur II (r. 304–79). In fact, for the historical section of the “Second” Small *Shahnameh*, this particular painting seems to be the first recorded picture, of a series of only eight.\\[1\\]  \nThe “actors” in this episode are the Ghassanid Arab king, Ta’ir; his daughter Malika (born of his liaison with a Sasanian princess, Naubahar); and the Sasanian Shapur II (r. 309–79). Ta’ir, “that ravening lion,” had captured Naubahar, daughter of Shah Narsi, in a campaign extending as far as the Sasanian capital city of Ctesiphon and taken her by force into his household. Their daughter was so nobly beautiful that her father named her Malika, meaning “Queen,” and her mother did not leave her ignorant of her lineage and circumstances. In due course, Sasanian Persian forces under the leadership of Shapur Shah, grandson of Narsi (and thus cousin to Malika), embarked on a retaliatory campaign into Ta’ir’s lands and the populace fled, some as far as the Yemen. Among those who found refuge in an abandoned fortress was Ta’ir’s daughter, Malika; but Shapur and his troops pursued them. The Sasanian army’s arrival is shown in this painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"26.3 x 19.3cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] See Simpson, Marianna Shreve, *The Illustration of an Epic. The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts*, New York / London: Garland, 1979: 380–82.  \nThe “First Small” Shahnameh has nearly eight times as many—including another version of this painting; but its illustrative program is also two and one-half times larger: Simpson 1979, 373–8; Sims, Table I, 14th-Century Illustrated Shahnameh MSS (Eleanor Sims, The Tale and the Image \\[a catalogue of historical and Shāhnāmah manuscripts and paintings in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art\\] (Volume XXV, forthcoming in 2019).","keywords":["folio","Second-small","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","colours","Gold","Ink"]},"056dead0-e9f9-5694-939a-2d3d5752e145":{"name":"\"Jonah and the Whale\"","alternate_name":"Folio Probably from a Jami al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)","description":"The story of Jonah and the Whale, mentioned in the Qur'an (37:139), was popular in the Muslim world and frequently illustrated in manuscripts of world history. This large-scale painting, however, never formed part of a manuscript. Rather, it may have been used during oral recitation or storytelling. Scholars have also suggested that with its strong palette, monumental figures, and spare composition, this work may reflect a now-lost wall painting tradition. Here, we see Jonah after his release from the belly of the fish. Above him, a gourd vine grows—sent by God to protect him from the elements—and, gliding across the top of the painting, a spirited angel with colorful spreading wings offers Jonah a garment.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Armenag Bey Sakisian, Paris, until 1933]","dates":"AH 800s / AD 1400s","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 33.7 cm, width: 49.5 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1933","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S., *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 29 (1934)  \n  \n\"The Exhibition of Islamic Painting and Book Illumination in the MMA.\", in *Apollo* vol. 10 (1934).  \n  \nSakisian, A.B., \"L'Exposition de miniature et d'enliminure Musulmanes du M..\"in *Syria* vol. XV (1934).  \n  \nHolter, K., \"Die Islamischen Miniaturhandschriften vor 1350.\" in *Zentralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen*, (1937).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., H. Buchthal, O. Kurz, M. C. Ross, B. Gray, G. C. Miles, N. A. Faris, and C. J. Lamm., \"Six Thousand Years of Persian Art; The Exhibition of Iranian Art, New York, 1940\" in *Ars Islamica*, part 2, vol. VII (1940).  \n  \nDimand, M.S., *Persian Miniatures. A Picture Book.*, Metropolitan Museum of Art Picture Books. New York, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.  \n  \n*Art Treasures of the Metropolitan.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1952.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Persian Miniature Paintings.*, Gallery of Art, (1956).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Mohammadan Art.*, Iran Library. Tehran: Bongah Tarjomeh va Nashr Ketab, 1957.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 3rd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1958.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, Publications, 36., Lahore: The Panjabi Adabi Academy, 1964.  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453683","materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"056fab85-863d-5746-9108-31105c02bedc":{"name":"*The Judgement of Solomon*","description":"The Biblical episode tells the story of two prostitutes who give birth in the same house, but one of the newborns dies. Both claim to be the mother of the surviving baby and call on King Solomon to adjudicate. When he decides to split the newborn child in two with his sword, in tears the real mother renounces the child in order to save it, an astute strategy used by the wise king to identify her. This shows the capacity the Lord gave Solomon to distinguish Good from Evil, not as a gift, but as a readiness to listen through which the wisdom of God can be found. It is also a celebration of the wisdom of those who reign in the name of God.  \nOver the centuries in the absence of any documents to verify the actual artist, the work has been variously attributed. One of the most notable theories is that an unknown follower of Caravaggio known as the Master of the Judgement of Solomon, on account of his strong personality (Longhi, 1943) painted it.  \nThe strong affinities to a non-Italian follower of Caravaggio have led some to attribute the painting to the Roman period of the young Jusepe de Ribera, when he had not fully assimilated the naturalism of his master although this is present in his later paintings (Papi, 2005).  \nThe essence of the painting is its compositional structure. The source of light outside the painting makes the scene a truly theatrical event. The rhythm is marked by the gestures of the figures in the scene arranged in a rigidly orthogonal progression.  \nThe king sits on a chair that rests on a step decorated with an ancient bas­‑relief, in front of a column acting as a perspective wing.  \nThe exasperation of the drama is not only evoked by the light and style, but by the atmosphere, a real stage on which the main player, Solomon, stands; the dark tones adding to the dramatic effect. These elements are consistent, notwithstanding the peculiarities of each artist, in what is known as the baroque language.","short_description":"The biblical subject matter of this work is expressed through the dramatic use of gesture and light. Believed to be by an unknown follower of Caravaggio called the Master of the Judgement of Solomon, it is in a style similar to van Baburen and Neapolitan artists. Some scholars have identified the painter as the young Jusepe de Ribera.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown provenance","dates":"c. 1620–25","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 153.5 cm; w: 201.5 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection (first appears as part of the Borghese Collection in the 1693 inventory)","obtention":"Borghese Collection (the painting’s presence in the Borghese Collection dates back to the inventory of 1693).","bibliography":"Longhi, R., *Proporzioni*, Florence, 1943, I, p. 58.  \nDella Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, pp. 85–86.  \nStefani, C., *Galleria Borghese*, Milan, 2000, p. 192.  \nPapi, G., *Giudizio di Salomone,* scheda III.11, in *Caravaggio e l'Europa*, exhibition catalogue, Milan, 2005, p. 270.","workshop":"Followers of Caravaggio","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio","Christian themes","Dutch painting","movement","Neapolitan painting","Spanish painting","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"0577e30a-dd75-503a-92c2-461ccdfb426d":{"name":"A forest conflict","short_description":"This slightly tinted drawing has been described as “noisy,” \\[1\\] and indeed, it depicts a chaotic match between life and death. Such decorative drawings come from a long tradition in Iranian art, beginning in the second half of the 14th century with the Jalairid dynasty (1335–1432). Such drawings of lively animal hunts and combats, with Chinese-inspired elements such as curling clouds, were prepared in the royal Timurid workshops or ateliers (*ketabkhaneh*) as design models for other craftsmen. This drawing appears to be a pattern or a model to be copied in other media, such as bookbinding, and is evidence of the variety of pieces produced by the workshop. The unrelated frame of alternating text panels, *mathnawi* verse in *taliq* script, would have been pasted on at a later date. Their source is the poem “*Halnameh*” (also famous as “*Guy u Chaugan*”) by the late 14th-century poet “Arifi.”","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"33 x 21.3cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] Canby, Sheila, *Princes, Poets & Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998: 2.  \n  \nCanby, Sheila, *Princes, Poets & Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.","keywords":["drawing","folio","pattern","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"05b44d2d-3b76-5151-b3a6-9f62194bb1f1":{"name":"*An Anxious Hour*","description":"Farmer specialised in genre scenes, often with sentimental subjects. *An Anxious Hour* reflects the high death rate of Victorian children from disease. The sitter is probably the artist's sister Emily, a watercolourist who painted similar subjects.","type":"Painting","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1865","location":"London","provenance":"United Kingdom","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"06a15d7a-7929-5c23-a1f9-e9bf723f6167":{"name":"*The Holy Family and Relatives*","alternate_name":"*The Holy Paternity*","description":"This small, sketch-like picture represents the Holy Family with the Virgin Mary and child Jesus in the centre. St. Elizabeth presents young St. John the Baptist, who is handing Jesus an apple, symbol of rule over the world. St. Anne kneels before Jesus. Male family members occupy the background: St. Joseph with a palm branch absorbed in a book, and Zachariah and Joachim, Anne’s husband and Mary’s father.  \nThe scene is not derived from the Bible but is a story from the Pseudo-Bonaventura. about the Holy Family. The story relates that on their return from Egypt the Holy Family visited a relative, Elizabeth, whose small son, John, we are told, showed great respect for Jesus. Sadler approaches the story in genre fashion, exploiting the individual gestures of all the characters and the evening atmosphere. The painter fully exploits the effects of light and colour, using chiaroscuro to accentuate the family group that spans three generations: Anne, Mary and Jesus. Green, blue, yellow and red tones merge into an almost monochromatic background. The mode of painting on a non-absorbent copper base demonstrates Sadler’s brushwork, along with his trademark facial expressions for the figures.  \nThe devotional subject, a symbolic triangular composition, and the emotional effects of the scene indicate that the piece may have been designed for private worship. It is worthy of note that in the final phase of his studies at the Academia di St. Luca in Rome, Sadler took part in a painting competition which he won with a picture of the Holy Family. The painting corresponds with the Academia’s style, applying approaches associated with Pietro da Cortona, Corrado Giaquinto and Carlo Marrati.  \nSadler’s work, influenced by his studies in Rome, was unique in Moravia. His oeuvre, comprising ceiling and easel paintings, was chiefly associated with central and north Moravia. He was a son of the Olomouc sculptor Filip Sattler and son-in-law of the painter Jan Kryštof Handke.","short_description":"The devotional subject, symbolic triangular composition, and emotional effects of the scene indicate that the piece might have been designed for private worship. The painting is typical of Sadler, a leading Olomouc artist influenced by studying at the Rome Academy.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1750–1751?","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 62.4; w: 45.6 cm","place_of_production":"Olomouc","method_for_datation":"The picture was previously considered the work of Paul Troger. However, the figure types and brushwork confirm that Josef Ignaz Sadler, a prominent Olomouc artist, is author of the work as determined by Vlasta Kratinová.","provenance":"Municipal Gallery, Brno","obtention":"The picture comes from the Municipal (Gomperz) Gallery, which passed into the administration of the Provincial Museum in 1922. The Provincial Museum Picture Gallery became part of the Moravian Gallery, Brno in 1961.","bibliography":"Vlasta Kratinová, *Malířství 18. století na Moravě ze sbírek Moravské galerie*, Brno, 1968, p. 24.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren,* Wien, 1988, pp. 73–74, cat. 41.  \nJiří Kroupa, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque 1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 236–238, cat. 85.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Accademia di San Luca","chiaroscuro","Christian themes","Madonna","symbol","symbolism"],"materials":["Oil on copper"]},"070b42af-0546-59a3-b779-ec6bcb7dc5ca":{"name":"*The Assumption of the Virgin*","description":"This altarpiece was made for the chapel of the Bonasoni family in the church of San Francesco in Bologna. In 1798, following the Napoleonic suppression of the Franciscan convent, the painting became the property of the Italian State. The date “1592” is inscribed in the lower middle of the sarcophagus. Therefore, it is believed the picture was created in the early stage of Annibale Carracci's career. At that stage the painter was working in Bologna and was strongly influenced by Venetian models, especially Tintoretto. The figures of the Apostles are inspired by Raphael's *Transfiguration*, which is now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana. Great sixteenth-century models are combined with a detailed realism, thus making miraculous events credible because of their tangible appearance. There is an emphasis on the wonder of the Apostles, the naturalism of their bodies, including the Virgin and the absence of complex symbolic structures typical of sixteenth-century art. This becomes an efficacious religious teaching which involves people of every social and cultural status. The solid mass of the clouds under the Virgin and the angels as well as the landscape underneath are significant stylistic elements and anticipate the Baroque style to come.","short_description":"This painting, dated 1592, was made for the chapel of the Bonasoni family in the church of San Francesco in Bologna. It became part of the Pinacoteca collections after the Napoleonic suppressions (1798). It is one of the masterpieces of Annibale's youth, influenced by Tintoretto and Raphael as well as real life experiences.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Bonasoni family","dates":"1592","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"260 x 177 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The date is inscribed on the sarcophagus. The painting is mentioned in the Bonasoni chapel in San Frencesco by all the local guide books starting from Francesco Cavazzoni's manuscript *Pitture et Sculture* (1603).","provenance":"Bologna","obtention":"Confiscated in 1798 after the Napoleonic suppressions.","bibliography":"Malvasia, C.C. *Felsina pittrice. Vite de' pittori bolognesi*, Bologna, 1841, I, p. 387.  \nMalvasia, C.C. *Le pitture di Bologna* (ed. A. Emiliani), Bologna, 1969, p. 120.  \nBenati, D. in *Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna. Catalogo generale* (eds. J. Bentini, G. P. Cammarota and D. Scaglietti Kelescian), II, *Da Raffaello ai Carracci*,  Venice, 2006, p. 306-308.  \nAgostini, G. in *Talento e impazienza. Annibale Carracci nella Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna* (ed. E. Fiori), Milan, 2006, p. 44-45.  \nBrogi, A. in *Annibale Carracci* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. D. Benati and E. Riccòmini), Milan, 2006, pp. 252-253.","workshop":"Early Baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Mirella Cavalli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Annibale Carracci","Apostles","Assumption of the Virgin","Bologna","Carraccis","Church of St. Francis","devotion","Madonna","naturalism","Pinacoteca Nazionale","Venetian influence"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"07ac9ce1-f5e9-5c45-8c0c-b25875e68e94":{"name":"*Six Episodes from the Life of Luigi Ferdinando Marsili*","description":"The peace of Carlowitz between the Habsburg Empire, Venice, Poland and Russia on one side and Turkey on the other was negotiated in 1698–99. Bolognese Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, a representative of Emperor Leopold I of Austria, was among the diplomats involved. After his return to Bologna he founded the Istituto delle Scienze (Institute of Sciences) (1711). This series is composed of six paintings: five depicting military camps, travelling armies and trains and one representing the discussion about the borders of the Habsburg empire. The paintings describe the negotiations and the following operations in order to define the borders of Venice, the Empire and Turkey in Bosnia and Dalmatia. All paintings are described in the *Instrumentum Donationis*, housed in the Istituto delle Scienze (first half XVIII century). Each painting originally bore a wooden caption explaining the scene depicted in it, today only one survives. This sort of documentary painting was new for Bolognese culture, and has been connected with the astronomical scenes commissioned from Donato Creti in 1711 by Marsili himself (now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana).  \nIn scene n. 291, painted with a rich brushstroke showing the influence of Giuseppe Maria Crespi, is depicted an episode of the negotiations for the peace: under a camp tent three diplomats sit next to their respective generals. In the foreground we are able to identify, thanks to the sealed letters they are holding in their hands, from the left the representative of Austria (Leopold Slink von Wischkirken or maybe Marsili himself, even if he was not the head of the diplomatic expedition), the representatives of Turkey (Reys Mohamed Effendi) and Venice (Carlo Ruzzini). We cannot say which exact moment of the negotiations is depicted here because the caption has been lost. The persons depicted are each identified with a letter which was further explained in a caption beneath the painting. However, the caption is now lost. It is a sort of birds-eye view of the military camp where the meeting took place, with a tent housing the diplomats and their respective armies. The paintings, dating to Marsili's most significant period of cultural and scientific zeal, employ a precise topographical description. They are a thorough representation of people, rather than focused on the epic and rhetorical meaning of the episodes.","short_description":"In n. 291 is depicted a scene of the peace negotiations: under a camp tent three diplomats sit next to their respective generals.  \nThe persons depicted are identified with a letter which was explained in a caption beneath the painting. However, the caption is now lost. Note the birds-eye view of the military camp where the meeting took place, with the tents housing the diplomats and their respective armies.","type":"Documentary and historical painting","holder":"Università degli studi di Bologna, Rettorato, Musei di palazzo Poggi","owner":"Università degli Studi di Bologna, Rettorato, Musei di Palazzo Poggi","initial_owner":"Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (Bologna 1658–1730)","dates":"Before 1711","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"One 75 x 96 cm (QUA 291), the other five 83 x 94 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna (?)","method_for_datation":"All these paintings are described in two documents from the first half of the XVII century: the act of donation of Marsili to the Istituto delle Scienze (*Instrumentum …donationis…Comitis A. F. de Marsiliis, in gratiam novae Scientiarum Institutionis*) and a manuscript inventory (Mss. Marsil., n. 85, fasc H).","obtention":"Marsili Bequest.","bibliography":"*Transilvania attraverso i documenti del Conte Luigi Ferdinando Marsili* (ed. M. E. Amaldi), Rome, Istituto per l'Europa Orientale, 1930.  \n*Autobiografia di Luigi Marsigli* (ed. Comitato Marsiliano), Bologna, 1930.  \nNoè, E. “La raccolta dei Ritratti”, *I Materiali dell'Istituto delle Scienze*(exhibition catalogue), Bologna, 1979, pp. 159-160, nn. 32-37.  \n*Guida ai Musei di palazzo Poggi. Scienza e arte* (ed. W. Tega), Bologna, 2001, pp. 108-113.","workshop":"Local workshop, Baroque Age, late Baroque","author":"Carla Bernardini","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["academy","Documentary painting","Enlightenment","historical documentation","historical iconography","Historical painting","science","warfare"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"08086d2e-5ac6-53f2-810f-71dc4434785f":{"name":"Portrait of the young dervish Nur 'Ali Shah (ca. 1748-1798)","short_description":"Half a century after his death, the dervish Nur ʿAli Shah (Hegira ca. 1161-1212 / AD ca. 1748-1798) enjoyed great popularity in Persia. Countless carpets from Kerman as well as various miniatures and oil portraits bear witness to this. It seems that this popularity was closely connected with the revival of Sufi traditions in the 19th century. All the portraits known so far can be traced back to two portraits painted by Ismaʿil Jalayer (d. Hegira 1284-1289 / AD 1868-1873) around 1865.  \n  \nThe leaf originally belonged to an album made for Dr. Joseph Désiré Tholozon (Hegira 1235-1315 / AD 1820-1897) who was Nasir al-Din Shahʼs (r. Hegira 1264-1313 / AD 1848-1896) personal physician. He might have received the album from the shah in 1889 when he retired. This folio bears the number 50 and must have been the last leaf of his album, which itself was taken apart and probably sold in the early 20th century. Individual leaves formerly belonged to the collection of Jean Pozzi and are now in the Musée dʼArt et dʼHistoire in Geneva (Switzerland).","type":"Portrait","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Joseph Désiré Tholozan (1820-1897); 1920s: Salomon Family, Paris; 1990s-ca. 1994: private collection, Paris; ca. 1995-2013: private collection, Belgium","dates":"Hegira 1297-1306 / ca. AD 1880-1889 (miniature and border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 31 x 18.8cm","place_of_production":"Probably Tehran (miniature and border)","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works.","method_for_provenance":"By comparison with objects that once belonged to Joseph Désiré Tholozan that are now in the Musée dʼart et dʼhistoire in Geneva, Switzerland. Information of previous owners was provided by the gallery, where the object was bought in 2013.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of Regula Brunner-Vontobel","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, “Stories from the Edge: The reconstruction of Islamic painting and calligraphy albums with the help of borders”, in Esther Tisa Francini, with the collaboration of Sarah Csernay (eds), *Pathways of Art: How Objects Get to the Museum* , exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2022: 297-310.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"0843a6e8-14f1-5005-a1be-69139c9e1a4b":{"name":"*St. Francis Xavier Preaching in Goa*","description":"The set of 20 paintings portraying the life of St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) form the back-piece to a large chest-of-drawers in the sacristy of the 16th-century Church of St. Roque, and are the work of the Portuguese proto-Baroque painter André Reinoso and collaborators. Installed in 1619, three years before the official canonisation of St. Francis Xavier on the 12th March 1622, the set of paintings form part of a religious “propaganda” exercise to highlight the life and work of the great Jesuit missionary, which it was hoped, would speed up the process of his canonisation by the Catholic Church. The paintings were inspired by the first Portuguese biography of the saint written by Father João de Lucena (*Histórica da Vida do Padre Francisco Xavier, e do que fizerão na Índia os mais religiosos da Companhia de Jesus*) published in Lisbon in 1600.  \nThe scene featured here shows the saint ardently preaching in the cosmopolitan city of Goa shortly after his arrival there in 1542. The picture has particular interest from an ethnographic viewpoint in that it shows the variety of oriental customs as well as recording different social classes. In the picture a crowd of new converts: men, women and children, as well as Portuguese noblemen watching on horseback, surround the saint. The background scene features a landscape fashioned in the Italian style.","short_description":"This oil on canvas painting, part of a set of 20, is attributed to the Portuguese proto-Baroque painter André Reinoso (c. 1590-1641). Commissioned by the Society of Jesus for the sacristy of the Jesuit Church of St. Roque, this and other paintings of the set form the back-piece to a large chest-of-drawers installed in 1619, three years before the canonisation of the great missionary of the Far-East, St. Francis Xavier.","type":"Painting","holder":"Lisbon's Holy House of mercy / Museum of São Roque","owner":"Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa / Museum of São Roque","initial_owner":"Society of Jesus","dates":"c. 1619","location":"Lisbon, Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 104 cm; w: 165 cm","place_of_production":"Portugal","method_for_datation":"This painting, as well as the other ones that make up the painted cycle dedicated to the life of St. Francis Xavier, was attributed to André Reinoso by the Art Historian, Prof. Vitor Serrão, after a thorough research on Reinoso’s life and his works, in the decade of 1990.","provenance":"Church of São Roque","obtention":"Church of São Roque, Sacristy (Lisbon), the work commissioned by the Society of Jesus to the painter André Reinoso and his collaborators.","bibliography":"Lucena, J., Historia *da Vida do Padre Francisco Xavier* (…), 1600, 2 vols, Lisbon, 1959.  \nSerrão, V. A., *Lenda de S. Francisco Xavier pelo pintor André Reinoso*, Lisbon, 1993.  \nCaetano, J. O., *Pintura – Séc. XVI ao Século XX, Colecção de Pintura da Misericórdia de Lisboa*, Tomo I, Vol. V, Museu de São Roque, Lisbon, 1998.  \nSerrão, V. A., “A série seiscentista da Vida de São Francisco Xavier do antigo Colégio do Espírito Santo em Évora: a iconografia xaveriana à luz de uma singular narração policénica”, *Revista Oriente*, No. 3, Lisbon, 2005.  \nHenriques, A. M. M., *São Francisco Xavier – Vida e Lenda*, Museu São Roque, Lisbon, 2006.","workshop":"Naturalistic tenebrism, Iberian painters","author":"Antonio Meira Marques Henriques","translator":"Ian Rowcliff","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Church of São Roque","exoticism","Goa","India","miscegenation","naturalism.","Orient","painting cycle","pilgrimage","Sacristy","Society of Jesus","travel"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"08d81111-ac94-5a3a-8273-8602b482ae98":{"name":"*Thronus Pietatis*","alternate_name":"*The Crucifixion*","description":"The crucified Christ is at the centre of the painting; the Holy Father hovers in the clouds holding up the cross, supported in the lower part by two *putti*. Above His head the Holy Ghost – a dove radiating light – is surrounded by cherubs.  \n*Thronus Pietatis* is by the Bavarian painter, Johann Michael Rottmayr, who later moved to Austria and made his name working for the Austrian Monarchy. His first works in Vienna were frescoes in Lichtenstein Palace. He then worked in Melk Abbey and in the Viennese Church of St Charles, Borromeo.  \nOne of the best-known painters of late Austrian Baroque, his work is characterised by voluptuous figures, strong colours and Baroque gesture. His later works stand apart with calmer movement and paler colours.  \nThe painting was a commission for the chapel at Valpovo Castle owned by the Hilleprand-Prandau family, by origin from Tyrol. The Prandaus were one of the four most important foreign aristocratic families in Slavonia. The Habsburg Crown granted estates to foreign nobles in Slavonia after the retreat of the Ottoman Turks.","short_description":"The painting is by Johann Michael Rottmayr, one of the best- known Austrian painters of the late Baroque. The painting was a commission for the chapel at Valpovo Castle owned by the Hilleprand-Prandau family, by origin from Tyrol. The Prandaus were one of the four most important foreign aristocratic families in Slavonia. The Habsburg Crown granted estates to foreign nobles in Slavonia after the retreat of the Ottoman Turks.","type":"Altarpiece painting","holder":"Gallery of Fine Arts, Osijek","initial_owner":"Valpovo, family of Baron Hilleprand-Prandau; later of Count Normann-Ehrenfels","dates":"1730","location":"Osijek, Slavonia","dimensions":"H: 360 cm; w: 168 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"The signature and family archives.","provenance":"Hilleprand-Prandau family","obtention":"Confiscated after the Second World War.","bibliography":"*Tri stoljeća umjetnosti u GLUO* (Three Centuries of Art at GLUO), Monograph, 1987.","author":"Branka Balen","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","Hilleprand-Prandau family","movement","religious object","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"0add5409-b394-5bfa-bd30-f8a38dd5179f":{"name":"*The Martyrdom of St. Ursula*","description":"The altarpiece is hanging on the main altar of the church San Nicola e San Domenico, in Imola. It was originally painted for the left side chapel, patronised by the Vendini family. The painting survived many attempts of confiscation, including the Napoleonic suppression at the end of the eighteenth-century, thanks to the determination of the Vendini family. It is an example of Ludovico's full mature style, painted after his exposure to Venetian influence. This work testifies to the adoption of a new expressive language, a baroque rhetoric, which melds Venetian colour and mannerist composition. The chaotic bundle of victims and villains, theatrically exhibited, stand in contrast with the hieratic figure of the saint who is absorbed in prayer and clearly deriving from the *St. Cecilia* by Raphael. The colours are mostly dark, emphasised by a cloudy dawn; the background is the colour of blood, the same shade as Ursula's dress. This painting was a turning point for painting in Imola, not only in a positive way: patrons turned completely to Bologna and the local school of painting was blocked and made sterile by the impossible competition with the Carraccis Academy.","short_description":"The painting was commissioned by the Vandini family for the church where it hangs today. It is a great altarpiece which ties together Baroque language and Counter-reformation liturgy: Venetian colours combine with the rhetoric of gestures and feelings in a strongly emotional painting.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of San Nicola e San Domenico","initial_owner":"Church San Nicola e San Domenico","dates":"1600","location":"Imola, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"343 x 229 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Inscription: LUD.CARACC[I] BONON. /PINGEBAT MDC","bibliography":"Arcangeli, F. *Natura ed espressione nell'arte bolognese-emiliana* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. F. Arcangeli), Bologna, 1970, pp. 42-44; p. 182; p. 214.  \nMazza, A. in *Biblia Pauperum* (exhibition catalogue)(eds. N. Ceroni and G. Viroli), Bologna, 1992, pp. 102-104.  \nMazza A. “Sul crinale tra Cinque e Seicento: il Martirio di Sant'Orsola di Ludovico Carracci”*,* *Ludovico a Imola. Il martirio di Sant'Orsola di Ludovico Carracci nella chiesa di San Domenico*(ed. Musei Civici di Imola), Imola (Bo), 2001, pp. 21-39.","workshop":"Early baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Musei Civici di Imola.","author":"Oriana Orsi","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Ludovico Carracci","Religio","St. Ursula","Vandini family","Venice"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"0ba121fb-d876-5f66-b258-176f999c7959":{"name":"*Seated Moor*","alternate_name":"*Moro sentado*","description":"This small oil painting was painted in Valencia in a very early date (1880–1884) and is an example of Sorolla’s early works, when he still painted small pieces that follow the taste of the time. This Orientalist topic was very popular in Europe at the end of the century and the paintings sold very well. The inspiration was not from travel or cultural knowledge, but instead was the result of studying engravings, watercolours, and other paintings of the time. The production of this type of topic in Sorolla is very short and almost all of it dates to his early years.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1880–1884","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"0bdb3920-5c44-5859-a7de-be6f63a099b9":{"name":"*Raft Conveying Winged Bull to Baghdad*","description":"Layard describes the removal of the winged bulls from the site of the mound of Nimrud in Nineveh and its remains, 1849, from where they had lain for approximately the last 2,730 years. They were carefully loaded on to rafts, made in the traditional way of using hundreds of inflated goat and sheep-skins supporting a wooden superstructure. Layard (who had learnt Arabic and Persian) recruited the crew locally, as he had done with his workforce. In April 1847, he sent them floating with the current, off on a six hundred mile journey down the river Tigris to Basra, where ships of the British Navy were waiting to take them the next 12,000 miles to England. Although the artist Cooper was not present on this occasion, he subsequently witnessed similar events, and would have been able to reconstruct the scene.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1849–50","location":"London","provenance":"United Kingdom","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"0bf3b5f9-5630-5af5-a852-fb4d0db276ec":{"name":"*Boy with a Basket of Fruit*","description":"The canvas is one of the first works Merisi undertook in Rome, having joined the workshops of Giuseppe Cesari, known as the Cavalièr d'Arpino, shortly after his arrival in the city in 1592. He stayed there for several months, exercising his abilities as a painter of still-life. In this painting, the artist represents different qualities of fruit, some of which are very ripe, with extreme realism. The extraordinary realism of the boy showing us the basket, illuminated by a source of light behind his back, can be attributed to the young painter's Lombard influence, his sensitivity so similar to that of the Flemish school.  \nThe Borghese painting should be compared to the famous *Basket* from the same period in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan, belonging to Cardinal Federico Borromeo and executed in Rome on recovered canvas in the mid-1590s. At the time, Caravaggio, unknown and in financial straits, used second-hand canvases to save money.  \nThis work was one of the pieces that Scipione Borghese had confiscated from the Cavalièr d'Arpino in 1607. The famous painter personally owned a valuable collection of paintings, which ended up in the hands of the greedy cardinal. They became the core of the splendid Borghese Collection.  \nThe technical ability that Caravaggio shows in the work exemplifies the artist's idea that the same method is required to paint people and objects.  \nThe subject has been interpreted in different ways. Fruit is used as an allegory for abundance, but on account of its natural tendency to perish, is also a metaphor for the transience of life.","short_description":"This painting dates from the first Caravaggio period in Rome. The canvas is painted with a strong realism that gives the still-life the same importance as the figure. The Lombard, Venetian, and Flemish influences do not prevent the painting from representing a new artistic expression.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Giuseppe Cesari detto Cavalier d’Arpino","dates":"1593/95","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 70 cm; w: 67 cm","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.111, pp. 75–76.  \nLaureati, L., Brown, B. L., in *Caravaggio e il genio di Roma, 1592–1623*, exhibition catalogue, (Rome), Milan, 2001, pp. 70–71, cat.17.  \nStrinati, C., Vodret, R., *Caravaggio e I suoi primi seguaci*, Tokyo, 2001.  \nPapi, G., *La natura morta Italiana. Da Caravaggio al Settecento*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 2003, pp. 132–133.  \nBull D., Dibbits, T., *Rembrandt Caravaggio*, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, 2006, p. 118, p. 197, cat.27.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","Flemish influence","Lombard influence","Realism","Still life","Venetian influence"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"0e6e6bac-3e5d-5bc0-b143-7f8c186c37a6":{"name":"A Portrait of a European, after Jacques de Gheyn's print 'Terra'","short_description":"This miniature painting depicted an image of a European soldier made by Mughal artist around 17th century. The original image is based on a European print by Dutch printmaker Jacques de Gheyn (1565–1629). This painting which is made with gouache on paper technique showing a European with fair skin colour in European style of clothes holding a long object, probably a weapon such as a spear or gun. At the margin of the painting inscribed the word ‘awwal’, possibly indicating the grade of the painting and at the back with Mughal seals impressions. The fondness to European prints was common in Mughal court. Emperors such as Akbar and later Jahangir were among the collectors of European prints.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 995-1010 / c. AD 1595-1610","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"21.9 x 16.7cm","provenance":"Indian subcontinent","bibliography":"Chapman, Caroline, Gibson, Melanie, Manginis, George, McSweeney, Anna, Phillips, Charles & Iain Zaczek, *The Complete Illustrated Guide to Islamic Art and Architecture*, London: Lorenz Books, 2010: 212-213.  \nDe Guise, Lucien, *Jewels without Crowns: Mughal Gems in Miniatures*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2010.  \nGallop, Annabel Teh, Porter, Venetia, *Lasting Impressions: Seals from the Islamic World*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2012.","materials":["Gouache on paper"]},"0f8914a6-32b8-5c6c-8562-d748aa45552b":{"name":"*Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III*","description":"Although essentially a realist painter, Şevket Dağ worked with free brush stokes in the style of Corot. He is celebrated for his paintings of the interiors of mosques. He took lessons from Osman Hamdi Bey, and followed his master in painting genre pictures reflecting various aspects of Ottoman life. In addition to mosque interiors he would also paint scenes in market places, still-life compositions and the interiors of houses. Over time, Şevket Dağ's work began to be appreciated abroad following exhibitions in European art centres such as Munich and Paris, and he was awarded a gold medal in the Munich International Exhibition of 1909. He later came under the influence of the impressionists.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"Late 19th century – beginning of the 20th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"0fb58449-ced0-5827-ac84-cb93936a6e15":{"name":"*Discovery of the Holy Cross*","description":"The scene depicts the discovery of the cross upon which Jesus died and the verification of its authenticity. The search for the cross was initiated in 324 by St. Helen, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who legalised the Christian faith by an edict in 313. These figures are not represented in this sketch executed for part of a ceiling painting in the Provost Church of St. Hyppolith in Hradisko near Znojmo, owned by the Order of the Knights of the Red Star.  \nThe discovery, erection and celebration of the cross are arranged in chronological order along the perimeter of the church cupola. In the ancient Roman empire, the cross, tool of the most degrading capital punishment, was designated for slaves and rebels. For Christians, it became the epitome of the redemption of mankind through Christ. The scene is set on Golgotha, where three identical crosses have been excavated. The crosses were laid on dead bodies, and when the genuine cross was applied, the dead person miraculously came to life. In the picture, this is the reclining figure on the left. Maulbertsch's masterly use of light, dramatic chiaroscuro, expressive exaggeration of shapes and rhetorical gesture, is particularly marked in the lifting of the cross. Accents of red and dark blue lend mystery to the picture.  \nThe final fresco differs from Maulbertsch's sketch only in the decorative detail and colour scheme, which appears less contrasted when seen in large format and makes allowance for the white-green-yellow Rococo stucco decoration of the interior. Josef Winterhalder Jr., later Maulbertsch's most faithful disciple, created his first independent paintings, side altar altarpieces, in this church. The cupola murals are also associated with a sketch by Josef Winterhalder Jr., Maulbertsch's associate and pupil for the *Celebration of the Holy Cross* and the drawings for the cupola paintings (Vienna, Albertina).","short_description":"This sketch for the mural in the cupola of the Church of St. Hyppolith in Hradisko near Znojmo depicts the discovery of the cross upon which Jesus died and the verification of its authenticity. It exemplifies Maulbertsch’s masterly use of light effects, expressive exaggeration of shapes and rendering of rhetoric gestures.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1765","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 32 cm; w: 44.6 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna? / Znojmo?","method_for_datation":"The Provost of the Order of the Knights of the Red Star signed a contract with Franz Anton Maulbertsch for the decoration of the Church of St. Hyppolith on 9 October 1765. The painter was to start work the following spring. He received 900 gold pieces and was provided board and lodging by the order for himself and his two assistants. The sketch or *modello* was a template for the artist's associates.","provenance":"Private collection, Brno","obtention":"Acquired in 1960 from the Mojmír Helcelet Collection, Brno.","bibliography":"Miloš Stehlík, K restauraci díla F. A. Maulbertsche, *Umění* IX, 1961, p. 408.  \nIvo Krsek, in *Franz Anton Maulbertsch. Ausstellung anlässlich seines 250. Geburtstages,* Wien–Halbturn–­­Heiligenkreuz-Gutenbrunn, 1974, pp. 97–98, cat. 65.  \nKlára Garas, *Franz Anton Maulbertsch. Leben und Werk,* Salzburg, 1974, p. 237.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Vienna, 1988, p. 48, cat. 27.  \nZora Wörgötter, in Zora Wörgötter – Eduard Hindelang (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und sein Umkreis in Mähren. Ausgewählte Werke aus tschechischen Sammlungen. Ausstellungsführer*, Langenargen 2006, pp. 54–55, cat. 55.  \nTomáš Valeš, in: Eduard Hindelang – Lubomír Slavíček (eds.), *Josef Winterhalder d. J. Maulbertschs bester Schüler*, Langenargen – Brno 2009, pp. 39–47.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Golgotha","modello"],"materials":["Oil on paper on canvas"]},"1024af4a-05a4-55d4-9f91-818959c2b7ed":{"name":"Rustam Slaying Alkus","alternate_name":"Page from the *Shahnama* for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. 1576-78)","short_description":"The illustration depicts the battle between the Iranian hero Rustam, recognisable by his helmet with a leopard crest and tiger-skin jerkin, and his Turanian adversary Alkus. In this paarticular scene, Rustam has struck the decisive blow, indicating an imminent victory for the Iranians. Nevertheless, the artist Siyavush depicts the battle so dynamically that its course is not yet foreseeable. The two princes, who are observing the carnage from behind the rocks and bite the back of their hands or their fingers in astonishment, are still feverishly following their respective troops, seemingly unsure of victory.  \n  \nThe leaf comes from a dispersed *Shahnama*, a Book of Kings made for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. Hegira 985-986/ AD 1576-1577). The orginal manuscript has been preserved only in a fragmentory state, with just 52 illustrations having been identified to date. Thirteen illustrations alone are the work of the highly esteemed court painter Siyavush, whose signature can be seen on one of the rocks.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Amra (Camruddin) Latifi (1879-1959); ca. 1912: Demotte, Paris","dates":"Hegira 984 / AD 1576-77","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"Established dating for illustrated pages from this manuscript","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by the gallery who sold the object in 1999.","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Acquisition made with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Robinson, B.W., “Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama”, *Iran*, 14 (1976): 1-8.  \nRobinson, B.W., \"Shah Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama: Additional Material”, *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299.  \nWelch, Anthony, *Artists fort he Shah: Late Sixteenth-Century Painting at the Court of Iran*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976: 17-40.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["ink and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"113d81d8-ec2d-5435-9b8d-e7c59e9ff9fb":{"name":"The Ghetto of Florence","alternate_name":"*Il Ghetto di Firenze*","description":"Telemaco Signorini was part of the group of artists known as The Macchiaioli Movement, a group drawn to colour and nature. After his studies at the Academy of Florence, he started painting from real life and spent some time in Paris, where he met Corot and the painters from the School of Barbizon. Back in Italy the artist went to Tuscany and Liguria. He also travelled frequently to France, England and Scotland, where he was well known. Signorini liked painting urban scenes and cityscapes. The artist developed urban themes with a unique emphasis, matching together vivid descriptions, social and humanitarian features and cultural issues.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1882","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"1203d512-7e1e-58c1-b5ee-087144132528":{"name":"The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon","description":"Saint George was born to Christian parents in the 3rd century. He joined the Roman army and became a high-ranking officer at a young age, earning the respect of Emperor Diocletian. At that time, Diocletian persecuted Christians and required that all soldiers offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Saint George publicly denounced the emperor and confessed to being Christian. He was subjected to brutal punishments but refused to renounce his faith. Eventually, he was beheaded and became a popular martyr saint. In one story of his life, he rescued a town besieged by a dragon. The townspeople had been sacrificing children, who were randomly chosen by casting lots, to the dragon. Saint George rode in just as the town’s princess was to be sacrificed. He killed the dragon, a symbol of paganism, and converted the townspeople to Christianity. In this icon, Saint George rides a white horse and slays the dragon with a spear while Christ, seen in the upper right corner, bestows a blessing.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1500","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 43.5cm, Width: 30cm, Depth: 4cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2003. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"140738ee-bca0-54e2-80dc-fdbd56b1dd67":{"name":"A blood-measuring device  \n*Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices)","short_description":"This painting comes from a popular treatise on mechanical devices and automata written in 1206 and copied continuously in the following centuries. Al-Jazari, the author of *Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices), included descriptions of more than a hundred devices in his treatise, one of which can be seen here. This fascinating device builds on two scientific ideas: bloodletting as a medical treatment and the use of simple machines to create complex automata. The treatment of various ailments through bloodletting was common until the nineteenth century, and it clearly did not need such a complex device. Here, the patient puts a cut finger into a hole in the basin and blood falls through channels into a lower chamber, displacing a float. The float is attached to one end of a rod that, on its other end, attaches to the pen in the hand of the scribe on the upper left. As the level of the blood in the basin rises, it pushes the float up, moving the scribe’s pen and indicating marks on his writing board.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1354","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"27.3 x 39.1cm","provenance":"Cairo, Egypt","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["learning","painting","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"1526ad94-18c0-5a77-9a29-be3d308e0e29":{"name":"*The Abduction*","alternate_name":"*Liberation of a Maid; Scene from the Legend of St. Ladislav; The Rape of Proserpina*","description":"As the subject of the painting is unknown, it is referred to here as *The Abduction*, which may be interpreted in this case as both rape and liberation. On the left emerges the sketched figure of a defeated man, his head severed. It is worthy of note that the artist paid attention to the position of the sword; no warrior ever allowed his sword to remain on the ground in combat. As is obvious from the central section, the sword does not belong to the horseman. The “abduction” of a young woman, dressed in a fine white robe with gold ornaments and a pearl clasp in her hair, whose eyes are fixed on the viewer, seems not to be the result of a fight between the two men. The armour of the horseman with a red cloak, flag, and a helmet with flying-bat ornamentation, along with the harness of his white horse, indicate that the scene was derived from a history scene or a heroic epic (possibly Alexander or Troya?).  \nDespite the difficulty in deciphering the theme, this does not diminish the spectacular nature of the picture. The artist's virtuoso brushwork does much to absorb the viewer. Maulbertsch depicts the dramatic situation in lighter tones and impasto accents underlined by the intense light he introduces. Red, blue and yellow, spreading from the centre, supplements the diagonal composition.  \nThe artist was clearly inspired by Rembrandt's use of chiaroscuro, and by the work of Peter Paul Rubens, especially *Oreithia* *Seized by Boreas* and the Marie de' Medici cycle. Maulbertsch would have studied the work of both these painters at the Vienna Academy. A white horse foaming at the mouth was among Maulbertsch's favourite motifs, as was the “action” scene of a kidnapped woman. Prominent during the Habsburg monarchy in the mid-18th century, this small, sketch-like picture is typical of Maulbertsch's original style.","short_description":"The impossibility of deciphering the theme represented here makes the picture all the more attractive. The artist’s virtuoso brushwork along with his use of light, enhance the picture. Prominent during the Habsburg monarchy in the mid-18th century, this work is a typical of Maulbertsch’s original style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"c. 1759","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 73.5 cm; w: 52.4 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna? Brno?","method_for_datation":"The motifs and the rendering employed correspond with Maulbertsch’s original style of the 1750s. This style is typified by an expressive exaggeration sometimes resulting in deformed shapes and energetic impasto brushwork.","provenance":"Private owner","obtention":"The picture was acquired from a private owner in 1946.","bibliography":"Klára Garas, *Franz Anton Maulbertsch 1724–1796*, Budapest, 1960, pp. 51, 207, no. 116.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Malířství 18. století na Moravě ze sbírek Moravské galerie*, Brno, 1968, p. 29, cat. 35.  \nIvo Krsek, Maulbertschovo „Vysvobození panny“ v Moravské galerii v Brně. (Ke vztahu Maulbertsche k Rubensovi), *Umění* XXVII, 1979, pp. 59–66.  \nLuigi Ronzoni, in Hellmut Lorenz (ed), *Geschichte der bildenden Kunst in Österreich, I. Barock,* Münich–­­London–­­New York, 1999, pp. 443–444, cat. 180.  \nLubomír Slavíček, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres. La Moravie a la age baroque* *1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 220–222, cat. 78.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["chiaroscuro"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"16779f12-bb0c-53b2-8168-9ebb33d19221":{"name":"Bahram entertained by Arezu, daughter of Mahyar the jeweller  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Bahram (or Vaharam) V (r. 420–38). It shows the visit paid by Bahram Gur to the home of one of his subjects.  \nBahram Gur, “that great hunter,” had performed another of many feats with his great bow, this time killing a pair of savage lions who would have preyed on the great flock of Mahyar’s sheep; and the head shepherd, not recognizing Bahram, addresses him, wishing to thank the brave archer and also praising the justice of the Shah’s rule. Bahram—still incognito—decides to visit the jeweller’s house where, says the shepherd, he will hear toasts and the sound of a harp. Indeed, Mahyar has “just one daughter, who plays the harp” and she does so, seated before both her white-bearded father and the Shah.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 19.2cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animal","battle","folio","hunting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","colours","Gold","Ink"]},"179f9d9d-6b5a-52fc-8dea-c159da198fd5":{"name":"*La Reine de Saba: 14 costume sketches*","description":"Charles Gounod turned to the librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré for advice when he was writing his great opera, and so they recommended him the legend of Hiram, the great tale narrated by Gérard de Nervale in his *Voyage en Orient*. The opera was put on in Paris in 1862. As this costume from the court of Suleiman shows, the models and costumes responded above all to the Orientalist stereotypes in vogue at the time.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1861-1862","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"17a114d9-989f-52a9-85d5-689485ba21f6":{"name":"Icon *The Holy Seven Slav Teachers*","alternate_name":"Ikona *Sedmochislenitzi*","description":"This icon represents icon-painting in Macedonia in the 19th century. This painted variant of the motif of the seven Slav teachers was enriched by Dimitar Dicho Zograf with the romantic awareness of the Macedonian Revival. The style of the most popular and most productive Macedonian painter in the 19th century follows the experience of the painters from that period. It was commissioned by the Robev family for the church of St. Nicholas Gerakomia in Ohrid. It was painted on wood with oil. It represents the Slav missionaries Ss. Cyril and Methodius and their most prominent disciples Clement, Nahum, Gorazd, Sabbas and Angelariy, in a sole composition entitled as “Sedmochislenitzi” (The Seven Holy Teachers). The saints' names are inscribed in the Old Church Slavonic language.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Macedonia","dates":"1862","location":"Skopje","provenance":"Ohrid","author":"Viktorija Popovska Korobar, art historian","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"183f3b05-4be1-5afa-b61c-38f98717b91a":{"name":"*Adoration of the Painting of the Virgin Mary of Znojmo*","description":"The image within, praised by angels, is a painted reproduction of an adoration picture of the Virgin Mary of Znojmo which originated in the 1630s. Its subject is the miraculous transportation of the picture which, according to legend, was brought to its new location by angels. The gloomy landscape in the bottom section of the painting has, beyond doubt, an allegorical meaning, while the illuminated adoration image presents a reality higher than the earthly life, here represented by thistles, military fortresses and rocks. The artist accentuated the difference between the miraculous picture and mundane reality through quaint, rustic elements in the picture of the Virgin Mary, in terms appropriate to chronology and the taste of the period. On the other hand, the figures of the angels and the landscape are rendered in Herdt’s trademark warm red-brown and golden tones, revealing his Flemish training.  \nThis sizeable painting is an example of the then popular picture-within-a-picture type. The intention of such paintings was to visually enhance, or “update”, well-known and already worshipped miracle-inspiring pictures. These “miraculous” pictures were displayed on altars, like relics, and as such were to be venerated. At the same time, pictures-within-pictures were employed, by Counter-Reformation and missionary orders in particular, for more striking presentations of “miraculous” pictures among ordinary town and country people.  \nThe origination of the painting marks a key moment in the history of the worship of the miraculous Znojmo picture, since the burgeoning importance of the Znojmo Dominicans in South Moravia involved the cult of the Virgin Mary of Znojmo. One of the first mentions of a Marian brotherhood of the Holy Rosary, active in one of the chapels of the monastery complex, date to the same period. In 1734 the “miraculous picture” was festively crowned and placed on a new altar in the monastery church.","short_description":"The canvas is typical of the picture-within-a-picture approach of the time, intended to visually “update” miracle-inspiring pictures. Rustic elements used in the painting within the painting contrast the sacred with the mundane; the warmly rendered angels and landscape reveal the artist’s Flemish training.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museum of South Moravia, Znojmo","owner":"Museum of South Moravia, Znojmo","dates":"1678","location":"Znojmo, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 241 cm; w: 167 cm","place_of_production":"Znojmo","method_for_datation":"The painting is signed and dated 1678. The Dominican monastery, established in Znojmo around the mid-13th century, suffered serious damage during the Thirty Years' War and was not substantially restored until several decades later. At that time, *The Invention of the Holy Cross*, a painting by Jan Daniel (de) Herdt a Dutch artist formerly active in Brescia, Italy, was obtained for the main altar. A year later, Herdt painted another canvas for the monastery, its subject being the adoration of a picture of the Virgin Mary of Znojmo.","obtention":"The painting was probably found in one of the chapels of the Dominican monastery church in Znojmo which was pulled down in the late 19th century. The picture was transferred to Znojmo Castle chapel, administered by the Museum of Znojmo since the early 20th century.","bibliography":"Václav Richter – Bohumil Samek – Miloš Stehlík, *Znojmo*, Prague, 1966, p. 67.  \nLibor Šturc, in Pavel Ciprian – Libor Šturc, *Staré umění Znojemska, stálá expozice gotického barokního umění ze sbírek Jihomoravského muzea ve Znojmě.* *Průvodce expozicí*, Znojmo, 1996, p. 12, no. 15.  \nJiří Kroupa, in: *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque 1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 93–94, cat. 7.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Adoration","Allegory","brotherhood","devotional painting","Madonna","painting","relic"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"18ce1dd3-9c8e-520a-add7-46441936d12f":{"name":"*The impalement of heads of two trapped Austrian soldiers during the combat at Jaice, August 7th 1878*","description":"This painting depicts a brutal war crime that occurred during the Austro-Hungarian Army's occupation campaign in 1878. On the reverse side of the painting there is a contemporary inscription, which sheds light on the situation: “During the battle at Jaice, Master Corporal Grilec and Private Matko, members of the 53rd Infantry Regiment have been trapped and beheaded. Their heads have been impaled in front of the gate to the river Pliva.” This treatment of prisoners of war was unfortunately not rare during the first weeks of the campaign; it provided a glimpse into a difference in approaches to warfare that would be borne out during the upcoming wars in the Balkans, 1912–13.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"1901 (Monogramed and dated: \"AP u. TO 1901\")","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"18d4f96e-d0c4-5c13-9bef-cefac9e7441f":{"name":"*A Northern Goshawk*, attributed to Mihr Chand","short_description":"This miniature painting depicted a Northern Goshawk, a type of bird used for hunting. This painting is attributed to Mihr Chand, one of important artist during the second half of 18th century.  \nRepresentation of animals in paintings has been adopted by Mughal artists since Akbar period, and later continued during the reign of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. This 18th century painting is mounted on a decorated border originated from the royal album made for Shah Jahan.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1438 / c. AD 1770 AD (Painting)  \n  \nc. Hegira 1049-1068 / c. AD 1640-58 (Mughal, Borders from a royal album made for Shah Jahan known as the 'Late Shah Jahan Album')","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"36.7 x 25.2cm","method_for_provenance":"\\- P & D Colnaghi and Co. Ltd., London, 1976;  \n  \n\\- Ex-collection Maurice and Edmond de Rothschild.","provenance":"Lucknow or Faizabad","bibliography":"Chapman, Caroline, Gibson, Melanie, Manginis, George, McSweeney, Anna, Phillips, Charles & Iain Zaczek (Consultant: Moya Carey), *The Complete Illustrated Guide to Islamic Art and Architecture*, London: Lorenz Books, 2010, 206-207.  \nDe Guise, Lucien, *Jewels without crowns: Mughal gems in miniatures*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2010.  \nFalk, T., *Persian and Mughal Art*, London: P & D Colnaghi and Co. Ltd., 1976: 199, 211.  \nGallop, Annabel Teh, Porter, Venetia, *Lasting Impressions: Seals from the Islamic World*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2012.","materials":["Gouache on paper"]},"1947528b-a97f-56af-b6c4-fe8372c9bdd5":{"name":"*The Western Wall*","description":"The Western Wall of the Haram es-Sharif in Jerusalem, as depicted for the readers of the Illustrated London News by William ‘Crimea’ Simpson. Simpson’s sketches were turned into engravings for publication in the ILN, and were among the most important graphic depictions which helped to introduce western readers to the present-day appearance of Jerusalem and Jerusalemites.","type":"Sketch","holder":"The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","dates":"1872","location":"London","provenance":"?"},"19b10be2-4026-59df-8bd7-f860cb379ee5":{"name":"*Susanna and the Old Men*","description":"According to historical sources, Rubens was one of the artists patronised by Scipione Borghese, who was a great admirer. This painting was probably done expressly for Cardinal Borghese, given that in 1622 it was fitted with a frame, now unfortunately lost. The commission, which lacks documentary support, could be understood to be a sign of recognition for the assistance that Borghese gave to the painter, who was already committed to Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, in asking him to consent to a longer stay in Rome.  \nThe painting relates to Rubens' second stay in Rome (1606–1608), when he was working on the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella – where Caravaggio had worked – in which he was decorating the high altar.  \nThe work depicts the story of Susanna as told in the Old Testament (Daniel 13, 1–64). This is a biblical theme that is particularly dear to the culture of the Counter Reformation, which saw in the heroine an example of truth and virtue as against lying, symbolised here by two old men who are trying in vain to seduce the maiden. To render the protagonist, Rubens, a passionate devotee of ancient art, drew on the famous bronze sculpture *Spinario* on the Capitoline Hill. It is an extremely harmonious figure in which the classical combines perfectly with the voluptuous and abundant forms, typical of the artist. There are also references to the great Venetians of the 16th century, especially Titian in his later style, Paolo Veronese and Tintoretto. These are evident in the use of a particular colour palette based on browns and golds, entirely different from the choices made by contemporary Caravaggesque painters, who focused on strong contrasts between light and shadow.","short_description":"Rubens probably executed this work during his second stay in Rome (1606–1608). The pose of the central female nude shows knowledge of antique art (the *Spinario*) and appears from the darkness with the contrasting light of Caravaggio's tenebrism.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Cardinal Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"1607","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 94 cm; w: 65 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection","obtention":"Acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.273, pp. 183–184.  \nBodart, D., in *Pietro Paolo Rubens*, exhibition catalogue (Padua), Rome, 1990, pp. 88–89, cat.25.  \nLaureati, L. – Brown, B. L., in *Caravaggio e il genio di Roma, 1592–1623*, exhibition catalogue, 2001, Milan, p. 289, cat.107.  \nVlieghe, B., *Rubens*, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2004, p. 34, cat.7.  \nJaffè, D., *Rubens a Master in the Making*, exhibition catalogue edited by D. Jaffè and E. M. Moore-Ede, London, 2005, p. 79, cat.19.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["ancient art","Christian themes","Classical model","Counter-Reformation","Dutch painting","Gerrit van Honthorst","Rubens","symbol","Venetian influence"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"19bd1476-0139-55f1-b234-c8d2e4fb2a12":{"name":"*Adoration of the Shepherds*","description":"The New Testament account of the shepherds' adoration of the infant Jesus is rendered as a genre picture. The landscape setting is not typical of Kremser-Schmidt's oeuvre which predominantly comprised sizeable altarpieces. The artist reduced the scene to primary figures and their attributes and based the picture on atmospheric use of colour and light. A contrasting motif of a forked tree receding into a dark cloud separates the main scene from the background. The light appears to emanate from within the picture itself, from the infant Jesus, and is reflected on the hay in the barn and tools in the foreground. These motifs are reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch painting, something that Kremser-Schmidt focused upon unlike his contemporaries. His interest in chiaroscuro and the relaxed brushstrokes pay tribute to Rembrandt's painting style. The colour scheme is, however, original. The scale of brown tones illuminated with various hues of golden ochre are offset by Mary's blue robe and accents of vermilion in the detail. The palette is complemented by a grey-blue background with light effects.  \nThe picture is one of only a few known examples of the artist's early work, that often appears to be inspired by northern Italian painting, and which he probably saw either during a journey to Venice in 1746 or through prints brought back from there for him. He later settled in Stein near Krems, and sent his paintings to Lower Austria, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. In the last quarter of the 18th century his paintings were distributed in Moravia (Vranov, Bratrušov). His student, Franz Oesterreicher, worked in Jihlava. Schmidt's oeuvre spanned changes in style from the late baroque to classicism and this was accompanied by an extension of thematic scale: portrait, genre painting and ancient mythology.","short_description":"The shepherds’ adoration of the infant Jesus is rendered as a genre picture. The landscape setting is not typical of Kremser-Schmidt, whose work largely comprised altarpieces for the Habsburgian lands. The painter reduced the scene to primary figures and based the picture on the atmospheric use of colour and light.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Art Museum, Olomouc","dates":"1757","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 80 cm; w: 110 cm","place_of_production":"Stein an der Donau, Austria","method_for_datation":"The picture was determined as a work by Kremser-Schmidt on the basis of a style analysis by Ivo Krsek.","provenance":"Municipal Museum, Olomouc","obtention":"The picture comes from the former Municipal Museum in Olomouc. Its original provenance is unknown.","bibliography":"Ivo Krsek, Ivo Krsek, Beitrag zum Werk Martin Johann Schmidts (Kremser-Schmidt), *Sborník prací filozofické fakulty brněnské univerzity,* F 10, 1966, pp. 51–52.  \nRupert Feuchtmüller, *Der Kremser-Schmidt*, Innsbruck–­­Wien, 1989, pp. 54, 377, WV 137.  \nMichael Grünwald, Kam mit der Weinfuhr von Krems auch ein 20 Schuch langes und 10 Schuch hohes Bild an...Der Maler Martin Johann Schmidt (1718–1801) und seine Kunsttransporte, in Friedrich Polleroß (ed), *Reiselust & Kunstgenuss. Barockes Böhmen, Mähren und Österreich*, Petersberg, 2004, p. 179.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["chiaroscuro","Christian themes","genre painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"19f232dc-5ab5-59c1-9ebb-efa8da82d771":{"name":"*Turkish woman at the hammam or baths*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"1a291f62-97b6-5628-b0d7-aa7f8c26f74e":{"name":"*Abgar of Edessa admiring a picture of Christ*","short_description":"This painting conflates two versions of the legend of King Abgar V of Edessa dating from late Antiquity. He is said to have written to Christ to deliver him from an illness. In his history of the church Eusebius of Caesaria (AD 260/64– c. 339/40) says he discovered Abgar’s letter and Christ’s reply in an archive in Edessa; the painting’s Latin inscription conforms to his report of the letter. Eusebius says Christ sent a Disciple to Edessa, but the painting features a more famous version of the legend: Abgarg received a miraculous portrait of Christ that healed him. Venerated as the Mandylion (or the image of Edessa), it was said to be a mechanical reproduction of Christ’s features. In accordance with baroque ideas, the artist has softened the formality of Christ’s head typical of early copies of the now-lost original. The king’s turban is a reference to the Oriental origins of the legend and its protagonists.","type":"Painting","holder":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","dates":"17th century, painted by Gottfried Ortlob (doc. AD 1675-1703)","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 115cm, Width: 98.7cm, Depth: 1.7cm","method_for_datation":"First recorded in the Salzburg inventory from AD 1717 as a work by Ortlob (who is documented between AD 1675 and his death in Salzburg in AD 1703)","method_for_provenance":"First recorded in the Salzburg inventory from AD 1717 as a work by Ortlob (who is documented between AD 1675 and his death in Salzburg in AD 1703)","provenance":"Germany","obtention":"Originally probably from the collection of Max Gandolph von Kuenburg, prince-archbishop of Salzburg (AD 1622-87); transferred from Salzburg to Vienna in AD 1807; documented in the gallery's storage in AD 1837","bibliography":"Juffinger, Roswitha (ed), *Zentrum der Macht. Die Kunstsammlungen der Salzburger Fürsterzbischöfe. Gemälde/Graphik/Kunstgewerbe*, 2 volumes, Salzburg: Residenzgalerie, 2011: 550-553.","author":"Guido Messling","copy_editor":"Liz Cooper","keywords":["Agbar","Baroque","icon","image of Edessa","likeness of Christ","orientalism","Portrait","relic"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"1a462d81-a64a-56af-a652-de7df98c6218":{"name":"The Old Road to Jericho : a view of the Jordan Valley from the top of the last descent of the mountain road which overhangs the Wadi Kelt. The town of Es Salt is on the top of the Hills of Gilead, in line with Jericho.","description":"A view from a descending mountain road, with three mounted soldiers moving down it in the left foreground. There is a small stone structure on the bank beside them, in the centre of the composition. Beyond is a view of the Jordan Valley, with the road meandering towards a settlement in the centre of the valley floor. Hills rise up in the distance.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"01.05.1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Unframed height: 40,6 cm; unframed width: 55,8cm","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["British Army","British Mandate and Occupied Territories","Jericho","Jordan Valley","ottoman empire"],"materials":["Watercolour on paper"]},"1af71b1a-176d-523c-9450-398ddc005fc7":{"name":"*The Beggar*","description":"This painting has only recently (2002) been attributed to Jusepe de Ribera, despite the fact that it was ascribed to him in an old inventory of the Scipione Borghese collection.  \nThe painting is considered to be a reference point in the Roman phase of the Spanish painter (1612–1616), which some scholars identify with the work of another artist known as the Master of the Judgement of Solomon.  \nThe work is recognised as one of the first completed by a young de Ribera, when his style was still strongly dependent on Caravaggesque naturalism. With this painting, the composition and voluminous construction of his early career begins to blend with the more compact and tangible brushstrokes for which he is renowned in his successive Neapolitan phase.  \nAlso, the innovative nature of the canvas is evident in the choice of subject: the beggar, despite being poor and dressed in rags, is treated with the same dignity as an eminent figure, launching a trend for the depiction of paupers that evolved extensively in Rome in the following decades.  \nThe fragmented brushstrokes, the threads of colour that freely define the dense highlights, the shadows that add drama to the scene: it is the chromatic elements that emphasise the heightened humanity of the character. Through his close attention to reality, even on the very margins of society, de Ribera focuses on the profound and human gaze of the beggar, the results of an effort to transform the idea of Christian compassion into a tangible expression of pathetic suffering.","short_description":"The painting has recently been attributed to Ribera from a Borghese inventory from 1615–1630. Ribera stayed in Rome from 1612 to 1616 and this work probably dates from this first period of Caravaggio's influence. The work initiates the “*pittura pauperistica*” that developed in later years.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown (Scipione Borghese?)","dates":"c. 1611–12","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 110 cm; w: 78 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.198, pp. 144–145.  \n*José de Ribera, bajo el signo de Caravaggio 1613–1633*, exhibition catalogue, Valencia, 2005, p. 42.  \nPapi, G., in *Caravaggio e l'Europa*, exhibition catalogue, Milan, 2005, cat. n. III.1, pp. 250–251.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio","Christian themes","pittura pauperistica","Realism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"1b32d683-31be-5270-b83f-6a9d2a5fc3b7":{"name":"*Rustam Slays the White Div*. Folio from an album","short_description":"Rustam is the ancient Iranian legendary hero, one of the main characters of *Shahnama* (Book of Kings) by Ferdowi. More than one third of the epic poem is devoted to Rustam's deeds and other adventures. His last - the seventh - heroic action was the murder of the White Div, a powerful chief of demons and sorcerers who captured and blinded Iranian king Kay Kavus. Rustam released the king, but only the blood from the White Div's liver could return sight to the ruler. Thus, Rustam entered into a fierce battle with a monster. The miniature shows a moment of Rustam's victory. Having cut off the demon's leg, Rustam thrust his dagger into the right side of the monster's body in order to get his liver. The Persian warrior is depicted according to the iconographic canon established in the 14th century: a beard (maturity of a man) and a cape made of tiger skin (highest military strength). The big object pictured to the right of Div is probably a Rustam's mace.  \nThe vertical composition of the scene and the absence of minor details (like depiction of the demon's cave where the battle took place or other landscape elements) indicate that the folio was intended for an album.  \nIn the upper left of the composition there is an inscription in Persian: \"Behzad's work, no doubt.\" However, the miniature is hardly the work of the glorious painter Kamaleddin Behzad. Apparently, the caption was added to the miniature later.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD late 15th–early 16th century (?)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 13.5cm, Width: 8.8cm (painting) Height: 15.3cm, Width: 10.7cm (page)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (1926, date, origin); A. Ivanov (1966, specified date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Bilenko, Halyna and Vyshnevetska, Mariya, et al., *State Collections of Ukraine*, album, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, 2009.  \nDavidson, Olga M., *Poet and Hero in the Persian Book of Kings*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1994.  \nHillebrandt, R. (ed), *Shahnama: The Visual Language of the Persian Book of Kings*, London: Routledge, 2016.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","miniature","Rustam","Safavid","Shahnama","Timurid"],"materials":["black ink (the inscription added later)","Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"1b6254e3-cc23-516a-85ce-ff122e61f5e2":{"name":"*Saliha sultan fountain and sabil*","description":"This work was exhibited in the “Miniatures and Fountains” exhibition held within the scope of Istanbul’s 2010 European Capital of Culture program.  \n  \nThis miniature illustrates a well-known Ottoman story about Saliha Sultan, whose life changed through a moment of honesty at a neighborhood fountain.  \nIn the district of Azapkapı in Karaköy lived a young girl named Saliha. At that time, homes in Istanbul had no running water, and people fetched water from communal fountains. One day, while filling her clay pitcher, Saliha accidentally broke it and began to cry in grief. Coincidentally, Emetullah Gülnuş Sultan, the wife of the reigning sultan, was passing by in her imperial carriage. Seeing the weeping girl, she asked her attendants to offer the child some money to comfort her. Saliha, however, refused the gift, saying:  \n\"I am not crying because I lost the pitcher or its value. I am crying because I failed to complete the task entrusted to me.\"  \nImpressed by her sincerity and sense of responsibility, palace officials conveyed the incident to Gülnuş Sultan. Soon after, Saliha was invited to be educated and raised in the imperial palace. When Gülnuş Sultan’s son, Prince Mustafa, came of age, he married Saliha. Mustafa later ascended the throne as Sultan Mustafa II, making her Saliha Sultan.  \nTheir son, Mahmud, became Sultan Mahmud I upon his father’s death, and thus Saliha Sultan rose to the rank of Valide Sultan, the Queen Mother—one of the most influential positions in the Ottoman court.  \n  \nWishing to commission a charitable fountain, Saliha Sultan began preparations, but she passed away before its completion. Her son, Sultan Mahmud I, fulfilled her wish by constructing the Saliha Sultan Fountain and Sebil, the structure depicted in this miniature.  \nAccording to popular tradition, the incident of the broken pitcher inspired an Anatolian custom: during weddings, clay pitchers are broken so that the bride’s fortune may be open and the household blessed.","type":"Miniature","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1431 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 47cm, width: 47cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["miniature","water","wedding"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"1ba45d02-7f49-57fa-9238-20be38aa5e1b":{"name":"*Annunciation*","description":"This painting was made for the altar of the church of the Santissima Annunziata (Blessed Annunciate) in Pieve di Cento, a small town near Bologna. The church was part of a recently built college held by the Scolopian Fathers, whose mission was the free education of poor children.  \nThe simple and clear structure of the painting is perfect for religious instruction. It follows the tenets of religious and profane painting as described in a 1582 book by Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti the Bishop of Bologna.  \nGuercino depicts God the Father explaining his mission to the archangel Gabriel rather than depicting the Annunciation. The beautiful angel is a set on a diagonal cutting the picture in two, thus separating heaven from earth. In the lower half of the painting the kneeling Virgin is reading in a bare room, unaware of what is happening above her.  \nThanks to the Scolopian father Giacomo Bottini the painting “Intangible Dowry for the Instruction of the Poor” was saved from the French requisitions, in 1798.","short_description":"The simple and clear structure of the painting is perfect for religious teaching. Guercino depicts God the Father explaining his mission to the archangel Gabriel rather than representing the Annunciation. The beautiful angel is placed on a diagonal cutting the picture in two, separating heaven from earth. In the lower half of the painting the kneeling Virgin is reading in a bare room, unaware of what is happening above her.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of Santa Maria Maggiore","dates":"1646","location":"Pieve di Cento, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"323 x 198 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The commission of the painting for the Church of the Santissima Annunziata (Blessed Annunciate) in Pieve di Cento as well as a series of payments were registered by Paolo Antonio Barbieri, Guercino's brother in the painter's Account Book in 1646.","provenance":"Church of the Blessed Annunciate Santissima Annunziata (Pieve di Cento)","obtention":"The painting was moved to the council room of the City Hall Municipal Palace of Pieve di Cento in 1924. At that time the church was closed, deconsecrated and converted into a store. Later the painting was moved along with its altar to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.","bibliography":"Malvasia, C.C. *Felsina pittrice. Vite de' pittori bolognesi*, Bologna, 1841, II, p. 266.  \nMahon, D. *Giovanni Francesco Barbieri Il Guercino. 1591-1666* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. D. Mahon), Bologna, 1991, pp. 282-283.  \nD'Amico, R. “La Collegiata e il suo patrimonio d'arte attraverso i secoli”, *La Collegiata* *di Santa Maria Maggiore di Pieve di Cento. Crocevia tra religioni, istituzioni e società cittadine (sec. XIII-XX*) (eds. G. Campanini and A. Samaritani ), Pieve di Cento (Bo), 1999, pp. 108-110.  \nAriuli, R. in *La Pinacoteca* *civica di Pieve di Cento, Catalogo delle opere dal XIII al XIX secolo* (ed.  E. Rossoni), Bologna, 2004, pp. 76-77.","workshop":"Bolognese Baroque painting","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Anna Maria Bertoli Barsotti","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Annunciation","Christian themes","Gabriele Paleotti","Guercino","Religious/liturgical painting","Scolopian Fathers","teaching"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"1c205c93-bc85-56c7-bb96-3f280389af94":{"name":"*Comares Courtyard at the Alhambra*","alternate_name":"*El Patio de Comares, la Alhambra de Granada*","description":"The monument of the Alhambra, the last palace of the kingdom of Granada, fascinated travellers to Spain during the nineteenth century. Sorolla saw it for the first time in 1902 and in his successive trips to Granada during 1909, 1910 and 1917 he painted it, away from the Orientalist clichés, focusing on its corners, and especially in its gardens and fountains. In this view of the Patio de Comares, he highlights the reflection of the arches over the pond and a set of mirrors that is repeated in successive rooms of the palace.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1917","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Spain","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"1c45a682-1820-5eee-b604-862620e6fcea":{"name":"*The Tunisian post service*","description":"This oil on canvas painting shows a scene from daily life at the Tunis post and telegraph office, built on the Rue d'Italie (now Rue Charles-de-Gaulle). One of the busiest rooms, the revenue office's great hall is, with its tremendously high ceilings, an impressive example of neo-classical architecture. Featuring elements of carved plaster and a map of Tunisia on a central marble panel, this painting faithfully reproduces the opulence of this historic building.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée des Postes, Télégraphes et Télécommunications","dates":"1891","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"1c78b924-ed6f-5a33-8922-4aa69a219c71":{"name":"Portraits of Jahangir and Shah Jahan","short_description":"This album painting shows portraits of two Mughal emperors; the upper portrait shows Jahangir (r. 1605–27) in a *jharoka* window-scene, while the lower, larger portrait depicts his son, Shah Jahan (r. 1627–58) in greater dimensions, a golden nimbus or halo encircling his head. Most famous today for commissioning the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan was also a connoisseur of gemstones. In this portrait, he is richly adorned with necklaces, bracelets, and pendants of pearls, emeralds, rubies, and other jewels. He wears an orange turban decorated with strings of pearls, rubies, and emeralds and a sapphire turban-ornament (*sarpech*) of black aigrette feathers. His gold belt glitters with diamonds and a large opal. In his sash is tucked a dagger or *katar*, and his right arm leans on a sword. He is holding his imperial seal on his left hand, a sign of his sovereignty.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1628","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"55.1 x 34.5cm","provenance":"India, Agra","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Album","figure","folio","human-figure","illuminated","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"1ca4ae5b-e753-59d1-a5de-423460efb5d1":{"name":"Iconostasis in the Church of the Holy Saviour","description":"This iconostasis was created by one of the greatest Macedonian masters of woodcarving, Petre Filipovski Garka, who formed his own group of artisans and developed his outstanding style of wood-carving, which was widely recognizable in the Balkans in the early 19th century. This exquisite piece of wood-carving was made from walnut in the technique of high relief. The iconostasis depicts scenes from the Old and the New Testament in which biblical figures are rendered wearing traditional costumes worn in Macedonia. The detail shows the self-portraits of Petre Filipovski and his associate artisans.","type":"Work of art executed in wood-carving; iconostasis","holder":"The Church of the Holy Saviour","dates":"1824","location":"Skopje","provenance":"Skopje","author":"Nada Andonovska","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"1d94a91f-144d-5ad8-8788-222b25813e63":{"name":"*Glorification of Emperor Charles VI*","description":"Sitting in his ceremonial tent on the right, the ruler is receiving a report. Surrounded by angels and wearing a crown, the Virgin Mary – in a cloud over the tent – reaches out towards the Emperor with an olive branch. To the right of the tent there is a column decorated with portraits of Habsburg rulers in roundels: emperors Ferdinand III, Leopold I, Joseph I and Charles VI. The dates inscribed on the column, 1740 and 1745, may refer to the emperorship of Charles Albert Elector of Bavaria and the Peace of Dresden Treaty, which resulted in the election of Maria Theresia's husband, Francis of Lorraine, as emperor. This is why it is likely that Francis of Lorraine commissioned the picture as a monument to his father-in-law's Ottoman campaigns. In the foreground on the left, a battle scene probably depicts the Siege of Belgrade, displaying the recognisable figure of Prince Eugene von Savoy.  \nThe fresco and altarpiece painter, Joseph Adam Mölck, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and records mention that he was there in 1733. Mölck worked for 15 years in Bavaria and Tyrol. In 1764, he painted frescos and altarpieces for churches in Steiermark. He worked in Lower Austria for the final 12 years of his career. His oeuvre was extensive and he worked with collaborators to achieve large commissions. The art and theory of the Italian architect and painter, Andrea Pozzo, influenced Mölck's frescos.  \nMölck visited Vienna in 1754, but why he did so remains a mystery; there is possibly a connection between the commission of this painting and Mölck's appointment as Tyrolean court painter in 1755.","short_description":"An allegorical composition of an emperor's military deeds is a special subject and this is a unique example of it. The dates on the column (1740 and 1745) may refer to the Peace of Dresden Treaty, which resulted in the election of Maria Theresia's husband, Francis of Lorraine, as emperor. It is likely that Francis of Lorraine commissioned the picture to commemorate his father-in-law's Ottoman campaigns.","type":"Painting (Allegorical)","holder":"Hungarian National Museum","dates":"1755","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 57 cm; w: 86 cm","method_for_datation":"The painting is signed and dated.","provenance":"Probably commissioned by Emperor Francis of Lorraine","obtention":"From the old collection of the Hungarian National Museum.","bibliography":"Rózsa, G., *A Történelmi Képcsarnok legszebb festményei* (The most beautiful paintings of the Historical Gallery), Budapest, 1977, pp. 13–14, cat. 18.  \nRózsa, G., “Cat. Nr. 110”, *Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993.","author":"Zsuzsanna Boda (following György Rózsa)","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Zsuzsanna Boda","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","Andrea Pozzo","Battle scene","Charles VI","Ferdinand III","Francis of Lorraine","Joseph Adam Mölck","Joseph I","Leopold I","Madonna","Ottoman","Prince Eugene von Savoy","Secular apotheosis","Turkish wars"],"materials":["Oil on copperplate"]},"1de5d379-77f2-53f5-8b74-1effd8f999f9":{"name":"Saint Mary Magdalene renouncing worldly vanities","alternate_name":"Santa Maria Madalena","description":"Under the cover of a daily feminine toilette scene depicting a lady magnificently dressed taking off her jewellery in a luxuriously furnished room, this oil-on-copper allegory has both moral and apologetic purposes in line with the Counter Reformation. The painting records the first steps of St. Mary Magdalene towards her religious conversion, to renounce worldly belongings, retreat to the desert and her penitence, meditation and mystic encounter with Christ. St. Mary Magdalene was the embodiment of one who had abandoned a life of riches and ephemeral pleasures, and replaced it with a frugal contemplative way of life, thereby disdaining all worldly vanities.  \nSeveral details in the painting carefully describe the circumstances of her retreat: the characterisation of St. Mary, and the room in which we see her, enhance the contrast between the luxury she is about to leave behind and the redemption she will achieve through a simple life and penitence in the desert.  \nWithin these details one can point out the furniture, the richness of the fabrics, and the detail of the lute on the arch – music is included within the worldly pleasures – and even the cat under the table, a symbol of domestic comfort. Yet the central topic of the action, vanitas, is represented by the gold, pearls and precious gems and jewels, which she is gradually scattering on the table, supreme emblems of vanity, beauty and worldly matters.  \nIn fact, therefore, this oil-on-copper painting is a precious iconographic document of the epoch, depicting both furnishing and sartorial fashion, but most importantly recording the jewellery in vogue at the time*.*  \nLastly it is also worth mentioning that this image was not painted by a professional painter. Sister Joana Baptista's biography is almost unknown; she was a nun from the Maltesas Convent of S. João of Estremoz, a small town in Alentejo. Her charming and naïve painting style is a fine example among other similar works made in Franciscan and Benedictine convents, painted by nuns to be seen by nuns, it presents St. Mary Magdalene as an example of good behaviour and devotion.","short_description":"Mary Magdalene strips off her jewels as symbols of vanity, thereby renouncing worldly luxury before embracing a life of penitence in the desert. As an iconographic document, the painting is a good example of the religious and moral ethics of the Counter-Reformation, while offering a window onto the daily life of the aristocracy.","type":"Painting, vanitas vanitatum","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","owner":"Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga","initial_owner":"Convent of the Saviour, Braga","dates":"End of the 17th century","location":"Lisbon, Lisbon","dimensions":"H:26 cm W: 21.5 cm","place_of_production":"Unknown","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Convent of the Saviour, Braga","bibliography":"De Oliveira, E. P., *O edifício do convento do Salvador de Braga (de convento de Freiras a lar do Conde de Agrolongo)*, Braga, 1994.  \nHall, A., *A pintura à vertente no Feminino e o século XVIII português*, Lisbon, 1999.  \nSantos, L. de Sousa, Santos, M., Maria and Helena F. Trindade (eds), *“Santa Maria Madalena*” in *Exposição de Arte e Música. Iconografia musical na Pintura do Século XV ao Século XX*, Museu da Música, Lisbon, 1999, n. 84, pp.110–111.  \nSerrão, V., *Rouge et Or, Trésors du Portugal Baroque*, Musée André Jacquemart, Paris, 2002.","copyright":"Copyright images: Divisão de Documentação Fotográfica/ Instituto dos Museus e da Conservação,I.P.","author":"José Alberto Seabra Carvalho","translator":"Cristina Correia","keywords":["Counter-Reformation","jewellery","St. Mary Magadalene","Vanitas"],"materials":["Oil on copper"]},"1e902b54-02bc-52d4-a41f-4b3abe60ea34":{"name":"*Sybil*","description":"The work was obtained by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1617, and may originally have been commissioned from Domenichino by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, although this is not certain. It is the first known piece having this subject (there is another original from 1622 in Rome at the Pinacoteca Capitolina).  \nIt shows one of the famous 'ideal figures' created by the painter through a progressive selection of forms until a studied, classical equilibrium between nature and perfection, beauty and expression of emotion is achieved: the representation of moods that is a central theme in the language of the Baroque.  \nThe figure assumes a singing pose. Numerous details refer to the musical background of the artist, who was a frequent visitor to the *Kapellmeisters* of Bologna. In this context Domenichino started to research a musical form that was entirely new at the time and that would become the style of instrumental Baroque music par excellence: the *trio sonata*. The maiden sits beside a beautifully carved viol and is holding a musical score in her hands. The laurel bushes allude allegorically to Apollo, to whom the sibyls were devoted, while the vine refers to the god, Bacchus, who is associated with poetic inspiration.  \nThe 11 pagan sibyls communicate the responses of the god Apollo through the oracles. Christian doctrine interpreted these maidens, who were dedicated to divinity, as forerunners of Christianity, attributing them the role of prophets of the coming of Christ. The female figure with her head bound in a turban alludes to the martyr Cecilia, whose body was miraculously found intact at the beginning of the 17th century, and whose story was painted as a fresco by Domenichino in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. The painting shows an extraordinary synthesis between the colours of Bolognese painting and the drawing of Raphael and Leonardo's theories on aerial perspective, established at around the same time.","short_description":"The Sybil, holding a musical score in her hand, is portrayed as the revelator of the Divine Word. The figure is connected to the discovery of the body of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music, in Trastevere, from whom it borrows the image of the turban as worn by the martyr, who was found near to the basilica of the same name in Trastevere.  \nThrough a selection of forms the painter reaches a refined and classical balance between nature and perfection; between beauty and the expression of feelings.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese","dates":"1616–1617","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 123 cm; w: 89 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.32, p. 29.  \nBorea, E., *Domenichino*, Milan, 1965, n.60, p. 175.  \nSpear, R. E., *Domenichino*, New Haven–London, 1982, n.51, pp. 191–192.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., in *Invisibilia. Rivedere i capolavori, vedere i progetti*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 1992, p. 34.  \nSpear, R. E., in *Domenichino*, exhibition catalogue (Rome), Milan, 1996, cat. 25, p. 422.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["ancient art","Christian themes","Classical model","cult of martyrdom","exoticism","ideal figure","music","musical instrument","mythology","symbol","turban"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"1edf2644-7dd2-5ff4-84c5-5718c7698f11":{"name":"*Saint Michael Archangel with Four Saints*","alternate_name":"*Saint Michael Archangel with the Saints John the Baptist, Benedict, Francis and Jerome*","description":"This painting once on the high altar of the church of San Michele, St. Michael is described by the Bolognese art historian Malvasia as “of peculiar invention and of such a pictorial good taste”. The five saints, rarely associated, are crowded in the narrow space without being in emotional contact with each other: Benedict, Francis and Jerome are absorbed in their meditations, only the Baptist seems to notice the presence of the archangel. He points to the scale that will be used on the day of the Last Judgement to weigh merits and sins. The painting can be dated around the half of the second decade of the seventeenth-century based on the pictorial language maturity clearly visible in the monumental scale of the figures and the skilled brilliant use of colour.","short_description":"The five saints, rarely associated, are crowded in the narrow space without seeming to be in emotional contact with each other.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra di San Giovanni in Persiceto","initial_owner":"Church of San Michele","dates":"c. 1615","location":"San Giovanni in Persiceto, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"253 x 160 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Stylistic evidence.","provenance":"San Giovanni in Persiceto (Bologna)","obtention":"It is mentioned by antique sources of San Michele. When this church was closed, in 1903, the painting was moved to the church of San Giovanni Battista. Recently it was transferred to the Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra in San Giovanni in Persiceto.","bibliography":"Malvasia, C.C. *Felsina Pittrice, Scritti originali del conte Carlo Cesare Malvasia spettanti alla sua Felsina pittrice* (ed. L. Marzocchi), Bologna, 1983, p. 297.  \n*Alessandro Tiarini 1577-1668* (ed. M. Pirondini, E. Negro and N. Roio), Reggio Emilia, 2000, p. 88, p. 97, fig. 40.  \nBenati, D. *Alessandro Tiarini*, Milan, 2002, pp. 142-143, fig. 42.","workshop":"Followers of the Carraccis","copyright":"Copyright image: Ufficio Beni culturali ecclesiastici della diocesi di Bologna.","author":"Anna Maria Bertoli Barsotti","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Alessandro Tiarini","Altarpiece","Christian themes","Counter reformation","Religious/liturgical painting","St. Benedict","St. Francis","St. Jerome","St. John the Baptist","St. Michael"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"1f01b620-1564-5cb2-8825-cd2a342b9728":{"name":"*Ambassador Mohammed ibn 'Abd al-Malik, Pasha of Tangier, visits Vienna on February 14, 1783*","description":"This picture shows Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed ibn 'Abd al-Malik, Pasha of Tangier, at his first visit to Vienna on 14 Feb 1783. This visit of the Moroccan delegation in Vienna started the more than 200-years-long peaceful relationship between Morocco and Austria.","type":"Painting","holder":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","dates":"After 1783","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"20abb534-7f0e-5447-96ad-59b7c1f4354d":{"name":"Pendant with The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon","description":"Saint George was born to Christian parents in the 3rd century. He joined the Roman army and became a high-ranking officer at a young age, earning the respect of Emperor Diocletian. At that time, Diocletian persecuted Christians and required that all soldiers sacrifice to the pagan gods. Saint George publicly denounced the emperor and confessed to being Christian. He was subjected to brutal punishments, but refused to renounce his faith. Saint George was beheaded and became a popular martyr saint. In one story of his life, he rescued a town besieged by a dragon. The townspeople had been sacrificing children, who were randomly chosen by casting lots, to the dragon. Saint George rode in just as the town’s princess was to be sacrificed. He killed the dragon, a symbol of paganism, and converted the townspeople to Christianity. In this miniature icon, Saint George is seen atop a white horse slaying the dragon with a spear. The princess stands nearby with the town in the background. The icon has a beautiful enameled *oklad* (frame) with a silver loop at the top. It may have been worn around the neck and was probably commissioned for a military officer from a wealthy family since Saint George is a patron saint of soldiers.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1750","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 7cm, Width: 6.4cm, Depth: 3cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Christie's Auction, London, in 2007. Gifted by Gordon Lankton to the Museum of Russian Icons in 2008.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood with silver oklad","enamel","gems"]},"20d7a54a-622f-5e96-bb49-b5ebfbee73fc":{"name":"*Still-Life*","description":"Baltazar Gomes Figueira was born and worked in Óbidos, although he studied in Seville where he worked with the great 17th-century Spanish painters Francisco Herrera, Zurbaran and Juan de Castillo. There he probably learned how to paint *bodegones*, a Spanish term given to both still-life and domestic interiors, and sometimes featuring kitchen scenes. This type of still-life painting was very much appreciated in the 16th century as a result of the growing artistic interest in scenes from daily life as well as an increased curiosity in the natural sciences. In the framework of the Baroque aesthetic, the still-life genre conveys transcendental values through the depiction of inanimate objects.  \nThe painting is composed of three elemental groups: on the left-hand side the fish lying on the bare table represent the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, strength and temperance. The fish, separated from the other parts of the painting, are immersed in an intense penumbra and illuminated with a luminous white.  \nLying on a light-green tablecloth are the other two groups: four dead birds – a sparrow, green woodpecker, duck and partridge – represent disrespect, human fragility and vice, lust and temptation. The grapes lying within this ensemble represent redemption of all these sins through the Eucharist.  \nFinally, on the right-hand side on the tablecloth, are a silver plate and some regional pottery beside the confectionery and fruit, these elements are symbolic of abundance, sensual desire, prosperity and immortality. The combinations of the four elements in each group are inked with the Four Seasons, the Four Elements (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) and with the Four Principles of Human Existence (Mind, Body, Spirit and Soul).  \nThe vivid detail, seen in the realistic drops of water near the fish for example, draw attention to the magical *chiaroscuro* accentuated by thin, transparent layers of paint.","short_description":"This still-life depicting fish, birds, fruit, confectionery, silverware and pottery was probably painted by Baltazar Gomes Figueira. It reveals two opposing realities: the spiritual world symbolised by four fish and a bunch of grapes, and the earthly reality and its dangers embodied in four dead birds, fruit and confectionery.","type":"Still Life /*bodegones*","holder":"Grão Vasco Museum","owner":"Grão Vasco Museum","location":"Viseu, Viseu","dimensions":"H: 41 cm; w: 161 cm","place_of_production":"Óbidos, Portugal","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Has long been part of the permanent collection of Grão Vasco Museum","bibliography":"Serrão, V., *Josefa de Óbidos e o Tempo do Barroco,* catalogue, Palácio da Ajuda, 1991.  \nSerrão, V., *Uma obra prima do pintor seiscentista Baltazar Gomes Figueira*, Éden Gráfico, Viseu, 1994.  \n*Rouge et or: trésors du Portugal Barroque*, catalogue, Musée André Jacquemart, Paris, 2001.","copyright":"Copyright images: Divisão de Documentação Fotográfica /Instituto dos Museus e Conservação,IP.","author":"Graça Marcelino","translator":"Cristina Correia","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["bodegones","chiaroscuro","mystic iconography","naturalism","Still life","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"2187568a-30fb-56b8-a477-3f4a26e1478c":{"name":"*Saint Philip Benizi in Glory*","description":"In 1697 Domenico Maria Viani was summoned to Imola by the Servite fathers in order to paint three pictures for their church. One of them, depicting “the Virgin Mary and the patron saints of Imola” is no more extant, however we still have the “Saint Philip Benizi in Glory” and “the Saint Pellegrino Laziosi Healed by the Crucifix.” Viani worked in Imola for a year and a half on these paintings. With his saint Philip Benizi, the Bolognese painter entered his mature phase, combining the style of Guido Reni learned in his father’s workshop with the baroque language of another Bolognese painter, Domenico Maria Canuti and employing a Venetian palette with warm colours. The group of the saint with the angels is seen from below and it gives the impression of the image continuing outside of the frame. The painting has always been mentioned by guides and art historians as very beautiful. The sumptuous gilded frame was carved in 1710 by the Imolese sculptor Giuseppe Giuliani.","short_description":"The painting was made in 1697 by the Bolognese painter Domenico Maria Viani for the Servite fathers of Imola. It is a mixture of classical academic culture and a fully baroque style. The carved frame was made by the Imolese sculptor Giuseppe Giuliani.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of Santa Maria dei Servi","initial_owner":"Church of Santa Maria dei Servi","dates":"1697","location":"Imola, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"240 x 150 cm","place_of_production":"Imola","method_for_datation":"Historical document.","obtention":"It remains in its original setting.","bibliography":"Pedrini, C. *Il museo come programma*, Bologna, 1985, pp. 89-91.","workshop":"Baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Musei Civici di Imola.","author":"Oriana Orsi","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Domenico Maria Viani","religious orders Frame","Religious/liturgical painting","Servite","woodwork"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"221afe73-7d15-546e-aadf-50258ff042fd":{"name":"Subterranean Passage to Fountain of the Virgin, Jerusalem","description":"A local Silwani woman carries a water jug and candle down to the Fountain of the Virgin to collect water. Another figure in the background is emerging into the daylight, having completed a similar trip. The Fountain of the Virgin, or Gihon Spring, is a freshwater spring in the Kidron Valley that represents the only local water source for Jerusalem. Other pools, like the Bethesda pool in the north of the city, held water transported from the springs at Artas, near Bethlehem. It is part of a complex and ancient water management system dating back at least to the Middle Bronze Age (c 2,000 BCE) that continued to represent a major source of fresh water for the Silwani and Jerusalem community until recent years.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1286 / AD 1869","location":"London","dimensions":"27.5 x 38.5cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1869 and signed by the artist.","method_for_provenance":"PEF records.","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872.","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Fountain of the Virgin Gihon Spring","Jerusalem","Silwan"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"229ce446-298c-5552-9810-3b37da02fac9":{"name":"*Tulumbacı*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc. *Tulumbacı*, a member of the Janissary fire brigade.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"23450be7-55b2-508c-9b67-5501474d0bde":{"name":"*St. Augustine*","description":"The monumentally proportioned, diagonally placed figure of Bishop St. Augustine dominates the work taking up almost two-thirds of the canvas. St. Augustine is sitting back, with one leg stretched out and the other bent at the knee. The Bishop is dressed in luxurious vestments and holds a burning heart in one hand, while with the other, he is writing in an open book. His bishop's mitre is also on the table. Behind his back there is a bookshelf, while on the other side, like a vision, is a rendering of the Holy Trinity.  \nSt. Augustine, a Bishop and Doctor of the Church, one of the four Latin Doctors, played a very important iconographic role in the Pauline order. Although the Paulines existed in the Middle Ages, they were formerly organised as an order in the High Middle Ages, living under the rules of St. Augustine. The choice of saints in Pauline iconography are not random, each figure symbolises a particular Pauline characteristic.  \nThis painting is by one of the greatest Pauline painters, Ivan Ranger. Born in Tyrol he joined the Pauline order as a trained lay brother-painter.","short_description":"In this painting by the Pauline painter, Ivan Ranger, the Bishop St. Augustine is shown with his attributes of a burning heart, a book and a mitre. *St. Augustine* was painted for the Pauline Monastery in Lepoglava.","type":"Painting","holder":"Diocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese","initial_owner":"Pauline monastery in Lepoglava, Hrvatsko zagorje","dates":"about 1740","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 146 cm; w: 107.5 cm","place_of_production":"Lepoglava","method_for_datation":"Research of the work of the Pauline painter, Ivan Ranger.","provenance":"Pauline monastery in Lepoglava","obtention":"Founded in Zagreb in 1939, the Diocesan Museum’s remit was to preserve the country’s movable religious heritage that had become redundant. Gifted to the museum in 1940, prior to this, the work was in the sacristy of Lepoglava Parish Church, formerly the church of the Pauline Monastery, until the abolition of the order by decree of the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II in 1786.","bibliography":"Mirković, M., *Slikarstvo lepoglavskih pavlina* (The Painting of the Lepoglava Paulines), Zagreb, 1979.  \nMirković, M., *Ivan Ranger i pavlinsko slikarstvo. Katalog izložbe, Kultura pavlina u Hrvatskoj* (Ivan Ranger and Pauline Painting), exhibition catalogue, Pauline Culture in Croatia, Zagreb, 1989.","workshop":"Pauline painting workshop in the Pauline Monastery in Lepoglava","author":"Nela Tarbuk","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Ivan Ranger","Lepoglava","Pauline","religious object","St Augustine","workshop"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"23d6b4ee-6380-5185-a38f-672a711e7d14":{"name":"Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat  \nFrom the manuscript of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), the Hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334)","short_description":"“Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat” is one of fourteen paintings in the only known illustrated copy of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), a tazkira and hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334). *Safvat al-Safa* gives detailed information about the life, sayings, virtues, and miracles of Shaykh Safi, the spiritual founder of the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736). *Safvat al-Safa* is a biography book with hagiographical accounts which falls under both genres. In Islamic literature, the term \"tazkira\" is used for biographical texts and \"hagiography\" is used for books on the lives of the mystics. *Safvat al-Safa* includes actual information on the life of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili as well as mystical and supernatural stories. It appears to have been the main source of the Safavid chroniclers for the early period of the dynasty, as there are numerous copies and translations. Safvat al-Safa has an introduction (*muqaddima*), twelve chapters (*bab*), and an epilogue (*khatima*). Each chapter has numerous sections (*fasl*) which include multiple short episodes (*hikayat*).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Heigra Sha'ban 990 / September 1582 AD","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.2 x 22cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","painting","Safvat-al-Safa","The-Quintessence-of-Purity","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"24150312-4b63-5263-a2a6-f674be030d7d":{"name":"*Annunciation*","description":"The painting, a *bozzetto* (study), was acquired by the Italian State in 1915 as the work of Giaquinto. Over the years, it was attributed variously to different artists in the Neapolitan area, but in 1958 the small canvas was deemed definitively to be the work of the Puglian artist. After a stay of several years in Naples, Giaquinto moved between Rome, Turin and Madrid, where he worked as the head painter to the court of Ferdinand VI, becoming an outstanding exponent of the European Rococo style. In Rome, the artist had developed the Baroque tradition, adopting the magnificence and refinery of its forms and the colours of that artistic language, using it to reveal the truth behind feelings.  \nThe study is generally dated between 1753 and 1762 (the years he was working in Spain) on account of his artistic characteristics of that period, when the artist was using rapid, highly fluid brushstrokes to paint luminous, elegant and at times iridescent colours. These forms and colours made the painter one of the best known in the world, and even had an influence on the young Goya.  \nThe artist builds a scene that resembles a theatre: in the background, beneath the dove of the Holy Spirit, the cherubs observe from on high, as if from a box. Beneath the clouds, a large green cloth forms one wing of the obliquely set architecture. Beneath the rays of divine light, the Virgin Mary lifts her face towards the Angel Gabriel who appears on high, wrapped in a soft swirl of yellow cape, clouds and cherubs.  \nThe few domestic objects elegantly arranged around the “stage” relate the divine intervention to a simple, recognisable scene from daily life, bringing the believer closer and making him more involved.  \nThe canvas was thought to be the study for the painting showing the Archangel Gabriel that is part of an *Annunciation* kept at the Szépmuűvészeti Múzeum in Budapest. It has also been linked with the altarpiece in the Annunciata Church in Todi, and with that in the Church of the Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy in Graz.","short_description":"This is a decorative *bozzetto* for the Royal Palace in Madrid (Giaquinto moved to Spain in 1753). The dramatic arrangement of the figures is typical of the Neapolitan school. Giaquinto moved to Rome in 1723 and stayed there for 30 years. During this time he was close contact with the Italian painters Sebastiano Conca, Pietro da Cortona and Giovanni Battistta Gaulli.","type":"Painting, *bozzetto*","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"c. 1753","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 63 cm; w: 34 cm","obtention":"Acquired by the Italian State in 1915.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.157, p. 88.  \nDi Giacomo, L., in *Giaquinto. Capolavori dalle Corti in Europa*, exhibition catalogue (Bari), Milan, 1993, n.49 pp. 216–217.  \nCapobianco F., in *Corrado Giaquinto y Espa*ñ*a*, exhibition catalogue, Madrid, 2006, cat 27, pp. 152–153.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Austria","Bozzetto","Hungary","Neapolitan painting","Neapolitan school","Puglian painters","Spanish painting","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"2419c403-644a-5025-b2b0-f52545267a7a":{"name":"*Taking of Christ*","description":"The painting is one of a group of works confiscated from the workshops of the painter in 1607 on the orders of Paul V, and subsequently transferred to the collection of cardinal-nephew Scipione Borghese as a gift from the Pope. It is one of the most famous paintings of the Cavalier d'Arpino because of the chromatic quality and the complexity of the composition. It shows Christ being taken to the Garden of Gethsemane according to evangelical accounts, which also describe some peripheral episodes. At the centre of the scene is the figure of Christ, who stands out in the luminous glow of the torches and appears to emit his own light. In the bottom right, Peter holds his knife aloft, about to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant Malchus. On the left-hand side we see a perfect diagonal line traced between the figures running after the naked boy in the foreground. Notably, this latter was taken by the painter from a lost painting by Correggio (c. 1489–1534), which he may have seen first-hand during a trip to Parma. The composition and the attitudes of the figures express the taste of late Roman Mannerism, of which the artist was the best exponent during the 16th and 17th centuries. Beneficiary of the major commissions of the time, including primarily those placed by Pope Clement VIII Aldobrandini, Arpino headed the most important workshop in Rome, where a young Caravaggio worked having recently arrived from Lombardy. The high drama imparted by the sense of isolation around the figure of Christ, highlighted by flashes of light, was an essential focus of study and inspiration for Caravaggio's *Martyrdom of St. Matthew* produced a few years later for the Contarelli Chapel of the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi (1599–1602).","short_description":"This painting was considered “the most beautiful work by the Cavalier” (Bellori). Giuseppe Cesari was involved in some of the most important commissions of the time, including for Pope Clement VIII Aldobrandini. He owned the most important workshop in Rome in the late 16th century, where a young Caravaggio also worked soon after his arrival from Lombardy. Here he developed the still lives of his formative years, studying the issue of light in great depth. This work inspired Caravaggio's *Martyrdom of St. Matthew*.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese","dates":"c. 1596–97","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 77 cm; w: 56 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.91, p. 63.  \nRöttgen, H., *Il cavalier Giuseppe Cesari d'Arpino*, Rome, 2002, pp. 84–85.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Mannerism","patronage","workshop"],"materials":["Oil on copper"]},"253606f2-42fd-5770-a8f6-cd970b12f2cb":{"name":"Nubian Boy","short_description":"The painting provides a glimpse of everyday street life, probably in Cairo. A tired water seller rests on a wall in front of a building entrance. The boy depicted is carrying on his back a large portable water jar similar to SM1996-219 whilst holding in his hand small drinking cups.  \nFerraris was a renowned Orientalist painter, pupil of Jean-Léon Gérôme, who encouraged him in 1885 to set off on a journey to Egypt with another famous Orientalist painter, Ludwig Deutsch.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum","dates":"1306 AH / 1888 AD","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"Height: 46cm, Width: 32.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date and signature on painting","method_for_provenance":"Bonhams 2006, lot 97","provenance":"Paris","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Hazelle Page","keywords":["Cairo","Everyday life","Ferraris","Nubian","painting","Water jar","Water seller"],"materials":["Oil on board"]},"268aaa5c-cd67-562b-a9f2-43828b435d6f":{"name":"Drawing","description":"Undated watercolour and pencil drawing on stiff paper with a landscape showing a bedouin black tented encampment, with horsemen and the river Khabur behind and looking towards Jebel Abdulaziz on the left, Tell Umjerjeh (sic) in the centre and the mounded sites of Tell Mijdel and Dibbs on the right.","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Museum","owner":"The British Museum","dates":"1850","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 21 cm; width: 35,5 cm","obtention":"Purchased from Chin Fine Art in 2010.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_2010-6001-18","keywords":["Camp","Khabur","landscape","river","tent"],"materials":["Paper","pencil","watercolour"]},"2704a657-75fb-53a2-a452-1f915fe21d3e":{"name":"Drawing","alternate_name":"Drawing of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem","description":"Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem  \nGraphite and watercolour on a sheet of paper stuck down onto a second sheet","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Museum","owner":"The British Museum","dates":"1775-1864","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 27,2 cm; width: 36,2 cm","obtention":"Donated by Ita Rennie in 1949","bibliography":"Fani-Maria Tsigakou and Stephen Cozi Agelastos, 'James Skene: Monuments and View of Greece 1838-1845', (Athens 1985)","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_2012-5007-16","keywords":["Church","landscape","Topographic representation"],"materials":["graphite","Paper","watercolour"]},"27672751-bd77-5df0-ac0c-0c65f49bf798":{"name":"A Persian noble","short_description":"The painting of a Persian man is traditionally associated with the painting of a richly dressed woman. Due to his attire, there is no shadow of a doubt that the man is not a Safavid nobleman. He is standing in front of a water basin in the courtyard of a stately Persian house.  \n  \nThe way the paint is applied in multiple layers as well as the strong Chiaroscuro clearly reveal that the painter was trained in Europe. This is also indicated by the fact that the painter mixed the wet colours directly on the canvas and executed the highlights in thick lead white. Equally European is the sombre palette and a preference for shaded hues. They stand in stark contrast to the Persian predilection for pure, luminous colours.  \n  \nThese two paintings are possibly two of the extremely rare, if not the only, known examples of pictures painted by European artists in Persia. We know from the sources that several painters from Europe, especially from the Netherlands, worked in the 17th century for the Shahs.","type":"Oil painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"1970s-2013: European private collection","dates":"Hegira Late 11th century / AD Late 17th century","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 27.5cm, Width: 21.5cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison of dress and architectural background with contemporary objects from Iran, contemporary European prints from published travelogues and painting techniques.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2013.","provenance":"Probably Iran","obtention":"Acquisition with funds from bequest of Gabriele Louise Aino Schnetzer","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, *The Fascination of Persia: The Persian-European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art & Contemporary Art from Tehran*, exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2012: 168-169, cat. 64.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"27a151e4-bd94-52f6-b538-2f4bcdf9c778":{"name":"*Madonna and Child with St. Anne (dei Palafrenieri)*","description":"The painting was conceived as an altarpiece for the Chapel of the Confraternity of the Papal Grooms (who following the abolition of horseback retinues had the privilege of accompanying the Pope during ceremonies) located in Saint Peter's Basilica. Commissioned in 1605, it was delivered shortly afterward and placed on the altar, before being immediately removed and transferred to the nearby Church of St. Anne, protector of the Confraternity.  \nCaravaggio was paid a meagre sum, which was increased by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who purchased the canvas for his city residence. This masterpiece was famously refused by the Confraternity, which disapproved of the realism used in the portrayal of their patron, whose name (“Anne”) means “Grace” in Hebrew, her daughter Mary and the Baby Jesus, all in a simple background barely illuminated by a single ray of light.  \nThe painting highlights the role of Anne as the creator; she who destroys “evil” and the role of the Virgin Mary who, with Jesus, crushes the head of the serpent, the symbol of sin. The subject also touched on the debate of the Immaculate Conception, in relation to Mary as a person, conceived without original sin (the dogma was not settled until 8 December 1854) and was therefore central to the dispute that split Catholics and Protestants at the time. The combination of these elements, in particular the extreme humanisation with which Caravaggio depicted the Holy Family, resulted in the judgement that the work was not sufficiently decorous for a representation of holy subjects, particularly at the time of the Counter-Reformation.  \nA recent restoration has thrown new light on the technique used by the artist, who did no preparatory drawings. Indeed, the analyses carried out have shown some limited traces of incisions around the figures.","short_description":"This painting was commissioned by the Confraternity of the Papal Grooms for the Sant’Anna Chapel located in Saint Peter’s Basilica. Considered to be lacking in decorum, it was removed after a month to the nearby Church of St. Anne in the Vatican, and later displayed in Cardinal Scipione Borghese’s collection. The religious theme is dealt with in an innovative, strongly humanised way. Caravaggio’s use of light greatly influenced his contemporaries, even the more classical painters. This work is an example of the contrast between the artistic views of the Counter-Reformation and uninhibited taste of the collector.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Confraternity of the Papal Grooms, Saint Peter's Basilica; Church of St. Anne","dates":"1605/06","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 288 cm; w: 207 cm","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.116, pp. 81–83.  \n*La Madonna* *dei Palafrenieri di Caravaggio nella collezione di Scipione Borghese*, edited by A. Coliva, Venice, 1998.  \nSpezzaferro, L., in *L'Idea del Bello. Viaggio per Roma nel Seicento con Giovan Pietro Bellori*, catalogo della mostra, Rome, Tomo II, 2000, pp. 278–280, cat. 4.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","Confraterniy","Counter-Reformation","Realism","religious object"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"27f25605-a0d6-5226-be64-b5c88fc6fc1c":{"name":"*Fall of Stalać*","description":"Having mastered the cobbling trade and after studying theology, in 1873, the Serb Đorđe Krstić went to further his education at the Munich Art Academy thanks to a scholarship from the Knez that came after he had prepared for admission to an arts and crafts school. By 1920, there were approximately 50 Serbian students enrolled there. Though pieces from his Munich phase measure up to the best works of the time, a later painting by this historical and genre artist is better suited here. After the initial, strong influence of realism, on his return to Belgrade, in 1883, he endeavoured to present an open manner of painting, with strong and coloristic effects.  \nStalać was one of the largest fortified towns in Serbia in the Middle Ages, serving simultaneously as a checkpoint on the approaches to the then capital Kruševac and to strategically important valleys. At the same time as four other forts, Stalać was burned down and laid to waste in 1413, in initial raids by the Ottoman Turks, who subsequently conquered Serbia in 1459.  \nThis painting was commissioned by King Aleksandar Obrenović for the 1900 Paris Exposition. However, the committee rejected it before the Expo for an excessively extreme depiction of fighting. When the painting was exhibited in the National Museum in Belgrade in 1901, 1,000 visitors flocked to see it every day.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1900","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Belgrade, Serbia","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"289e0b91-391c-5f31-815c-4363fea69bfe":{"name":"*Aeneas’ Flight from Troy*","description":"A painting of the same subject, now sadly lost, was made for Emperor Rudolph II of Austria (1586–89). Given its immediate success, Barocci made a copy in 1589. According to tradition, it was Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere of Urbino who later gave it to Scipione Borghese. Scipione was so pleased with the painting that in 1618 he commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to produce a sculptural group (the first by the famous sculptor) showing the same subject. The work demonstrates the exceptional technique of the Urbino painter, who worked continuously on religious subjects and portraits, this being one of his few secular pieces. The scenery through which the protagonists move – bold imagery that did not escape Rubens – is highly dramatic: flames chase them, and the smoke and darkness of the night emphasise the imminent tragedy. The foreshortening of the stairway in the foreground, light reflecting off the balusters, creates a highly scenic element serving the theatricality of the episode, and presages future solutions employed in Baroque art. In the background, in addition to the Antonine column, there are clear references to the work of Raphael and Donato Bramante, who, like Barocci, came from Urbino. The monuments shown appear to compare Rome to Troy in flames, almost wishing to recall the terrible Sack of Rome by the Landsknechts in 1527.","short_description":"Barocci was a predecessor of Baroque art. The complex division of space, the spontaneity and naturalness of the figures' movements, the colours, all had a strong influence on 17th-century art, particularly that of Rubens. His anti-rhetorical figures were not appreciated in Rome and considered remote from classical art. Cardinal Scipione was inspired by this work when he commissioned Bernini to sculpt a statue of subject. This canvas is a replica of Rudolf II of Austria's painting (1586–89).","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Giuliano Della Rovere","dates":"1598 (signed and dated: FED.BAR.URB.FAC.MDXCVIII)","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h:179 cm; w: 253 cm","place_of_production":"Urbino","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.99, pp. 68–69.  \nEmiliani, A., *Federico Barocci*, Bologna, 1985, 2 vols, 1, pp. 230–237.  \nEmiliani, A., in *L'Idea del Bello. Viaggio per Roma nel Seicento con Giovan Pietro Bellori*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, Tomo II, 2000, pp. 264–265, cat. 11.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Donato Bramante","mythology","Raffaello","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"28f28da1-db6e-593f-a4b0-5bb45ac24d47":{"name":"*St. Jerome*","description":"St. Jerome, Father of the Western Church, is shown translating the texts of the Old and New Testaments (*Vulgate*) into Latin. The scene is rendered suggestively with a neutral background from which the light-bathed figure emerges. On a table, near the books, there is a skull, signifying the penitential aspect of the saint, and his meditation on the Passion and death of Christ.  \nThe composition, executed with high realism, is synonymous with the artist's style, giving the subjects a very particular theatricality that focuses solely on the actions or expressions of the characters without using monumental scenery or artifice, typical of Baroque art. St. Jerome was one of the most commonly represented figures of the Counter-Reformation. His active and contemplative life was held up as a model for the faithful, who saw in him a route to salvation, in addition to the importance placed on studying and translating the scriptures from Greek and Hebrew. The *Vulgate* was in fact the first Latin transcription of the Bible and therefore became a key tool for the dissemination of the sacred texts. The painting, according to tradition, was carried out expressly for Scipione Borghese, having recently been elected cardinal with the help of his uncle Camillo, who had become Pope Paul V on 16 May 1605. The cardinal, who helped the artist escape a prison sentence related to problems involving women in 1605, the year the piece is dated, was one of Caravaggio's great admirers, and procured 12 of the artist's pieces for his collection.","short_description":"The artwork was given as a gift by the artist to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who had helped him get out of a Roman prison. It represents St. Jerome, one of the Fathers of the Church, in the act of translating the *Vulgate*. For this reason, he is considered the patron saint of archaeologists, librarians, translators and students in general. The canvas dates from 1605, the year in which Borghese was made cardinal, making this painting even dearer to the newly appointed prince of the Church.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese","dates":"1605/06","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 116 cm; w: 153 cm","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection","obtention":"Acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.115, pp. 81–83.  \nBull, D., Dibbits, T., *Rembrandt Caravaggio*, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, 2006, p. 148, cat. 35.  \nHartje, N., *Caravaggio. Originale und Kopien im Spiegel der Forschung*, exhibition catalogue, Düsseldorf, 2006, p. 227, cat. 19.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bible","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","Realism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"29092d3e-f7b7-5e75-a750-72b4e7e7bbd1":{"name":"*Fugitives Of Herzegovina*","alternate_name":"*Fugitives Of Bosnia and Herzegovina*","description":"In response to events in the Serbo-Turkish war of 1875-78, Uroš Predić presents his extremely realistic treatment of a subject glorifying not the heroic struggle for liberation, but the hardships of innocent people forced to go into hiding. The artist was inspired by similar works with historical subjects, like those painted by Jaroslav Čermak (1831-1878), but painted his figures from live models, mostly close relatives who posed for him in a Belgrade studio. Thanks to the world-renowned scientist and benefactor Mihailo Pupin (1854-1935), *Fugitives of Herzegovina* became a part of the collection of the National Museum in Belgrade in 1923.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1889","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Belgrade, Serbia","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"295e748a-0245-55df-9c43-f50f0272c148":{"name":"Painting on glass","description":"This image, painted on glass, is a reference to the famous legend of Abla and 'Antar ibn Shaddad a legend which was very much alive in the Tunisian popular imagination of the time. The well-loved Abla is painted here as a queen, with regal clothes and a crown on her head. The horse, a symbol of virility and strength, is a reference to the legendary character of 'Antar.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires","dates":"19th century","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"29756bc5-95e1-5d47-be16-67719e7ac820":{"name":"*The Franco-Tuscan Expedition to Egypt*","description":"In 1827 the artist Giuseppe Angelelli took part in the Franco-Tuscan campaign to Egypt (1828–1829) sponsored by the French Government and the Grand Duke of Tuscany and directed by the archaeologist Ippolito Rosellini. Once back in Florence, the Grand Duke of Tuscany commissioned him to create a painting of those who took part at the campaign in Thebes.  \nThe two directors are represented in the core of the scene, wearing the Nizam, the official clothing, which has recently been required by the pasha and willingly adopted by most of them. Champollion is seated and Ippolito Rosellini is standing at his right, holding a sheet depicting one of the Kadesh Battle's scenes, that of Pharaoh grabbing an enemy's arm. In the middle, between the two protagonists, is the engineer Gaetano Rosellini, Ippolito's uncle and architect in charge of the two missions. On the left, several members of the Commissions: the elder Raddi, dressed in European garb and holding a lotus flower in his hand; the illustrator Duchesne is shown in the foreground with the colours on one side and a painting of ruins on the other.","type":"Painting","holder":"Egyptian Museum","dates":"c. 1830","location":"Florence","provenance":"Florence","copyright":"Copyright image: Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni Culturali e del Turismo - Museo Egizio di Firenze.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"29e8d7c4-4afa-510c-a674-f8b5ff0e817f":{"name":"*Allegory of the Fortunate Reign of Moravia*","alternate_name":"*Homage of Olympus to the Moravian Land*","description":"The composition is executed in depth. Under a Zodiac indicating eternity at the top edge, flies Fame, trumpeting the glory of Moravia. The top section features the symbol of Moravia, an obelisk with a chequered eagle, towards which *putti* fly with a laurel wreath and a crown. On the left, a female figure with a palm frond symbolises monarchical virtue while on the other side sits *Potestas*, who personifies power, and to whom the *putti* hand the field emblems of the Roman legions. Next to monarchical virtue is Victoria, with a laurel wreath on her head and a statue of the goddess Nike in her hand. Below are Mercury, the god of trade, Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, and *Cognitio*, the personification of knowledge. Their opposite on the right is *Religio*, accompanied by the Old and New Testaments. The group is observed by Diana, goddess of hunting, and Fortune with a wheel. The central motif is *Abundantia* with a cornucopia. At the bottom are Hercules, the war gods Mars and Bellona, an allegory of eternal fame, a water god and a *putto* with weapons. Below the group is an allegorical female figure with a helmet and a palm frond, possibly symbolising strength and competence.  \nIn the early 1730s, the proprietors of the Moravian Estates decided to commission decorative artwork to finish off the reconstruction of the Provincial House in Brno. Provincial Governor Maxmilián Oldřich Count Kounic assigned the job to the academic painter Daniel Gran and the quadraturist Gaetano Fanti. *Allegory of the Fortunate Reign of Moravia* was executed above the assembly hall benches, while *Apotheosis of the Rule of Justice*, an allegory of a “good government”, was placed above the governor's seat. Three preparatory sketches (Albertina, Vienna; Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg) and two designs in oil (Akademie der bildenden Künste, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere) have survived for the first scene. A mirror image of Gran's painting from the Moravian Gallery was created as a template for a print.","short_description":"This workshop image of Gran’s mural from the Assembly Hall of the Moravian Estates was created as a template for a print. The top section of the composition – a world of allegorical figures and ancient gods - features the symbol of Moravia, an obelisk with the country’s coat of arms.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"Before 1734","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 146.5 cm; w: 97.5 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna? / Brno?","provenance":"Private property, Brno","obtention":"Acquired from private property in Brno, 1865.","bibliography":"Jaroslav Dřímal, *Zemský dům v Brně,* Brno, 1947, p. 114.  \nErich Knab, *Daniel Gran,* Wien–Münich, 1977, p. 83.  \nElfriede Baum, *Katalog des Österreichischen Barockmuseums im Unteren Belvedere Wien,* Wien–Münich, 1980, p. 201.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *Moravie a la age baroque 1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 89–90, cat. 4.  \nJohann Kronbichler, *Grandezza. Der Barockmaler Daniel Gran*, 2007, pp. 48–49.","workshop":"Workshop of Daniel Gran","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","constellation","mythology","Pallas Athene","personification","quadrature","star","zodiac"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"2aa49918-c570-5090-b9c9-670c7ca75ff7":{"name":"*The Bazaar at Athens*","description":"The well-known Irish topographer Edward Dodwell toured Greece twice: in 1801 and 1805–6 and he later produced several works on Greece’s scenery, its antiquities and the people’s life. He managed to cover a wide range of Greek subjects and to record faithfully-in both his drawings and his descriptions- various aspects of Greek life and customs. Dodwell’s folio *Views in Greece* (1821) includes an identical image entitled “Bazaar of Athens”, which is obviously based on this watercolour. According to the artist’s description in the text, on the right-hand side is seen a coffee-shop frequented by important people, such as the disdar (e.g. Governor of Athens) depicted in a scarlet gown.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Early 19th century","location":"Athens","author":"Tsigakou 1995, 114, fig. 6"},"2adedceb-8648-52a0-ae26-9e49a8fb53de":{"name":"*Nativity*","alternate_name":"Sketch for the altarpiece of the Voss Orphanage, Sopron","description":"Dorffmaister was a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1751 to 1759. In 1762 he settled in Sopron and worked until his death almost exclusively for Hungarian patrons as a fresco and altarpiece painter. He took commissions from everyone – bishops, various monastic orders and town or village communities.  \nBeing childless Charles Voss von Ehrenfels (d.1761) and his wife, Anna Dorothea Lanius (d.1770), made a pact that following the death of either one of them the one that survived should found an orphanage. Having survived her husband Anna Dorothea bought the Kisfaludy house in Sopron seeing it as a suitable building for an orphanage. The foundation charter of the institution was signed in 1768 and confirmed in the same year by Empress Maria Theresia.  \nFollowing the death of Anna Dorothea, György Primes the vicar of Sopron, finished the construction and decoration of the orphanage whose chapel was opened in 1772, and decorated with an altarpiece by Dorffmaister accomplished in the same year.  \nTo the right of the altar, which takes up the entire main wall, there is a contemporary sculpture of the Guardian Angel. The commission for the altarpiece painting went to Dorffmaister who made an oil sketch, which has remained in the town to this day, and is illustrated here. In the building with its chapel that was newly consecrated in 2009 after a restoration, there is a community centre for Christian communities, courses, lectures, and various charitable activities.  \nFor the composition of the altarpiece for the Holy Trinity Chapel, the artist chose an unusual depiction of the Holy Trinity: he painted the figure of God the Father and the dove of the Holy Spirit among a choir of angels over a scene of the Nativity, gazing down at the stable in Bethlehem. In this representation, Dorffmaister merges three different types of picture: the Nativity, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi. The result is one of Dorffmaister's most balanced and harmonious altarpieces. Beyond the motif of Mary's raised, shining white kerchief taken from northern Italian painting, the artist appears to follow the example of a mature Adoration of the Magi. The figures unfold from a dark background emphasised by strongly coloured drapery, sharp light cast on their faces, and light patches of folds in some of the garments.  \nWith this altarpiece, Dorffmaister's first major ecclesiastical undertaking in the town of Sopron, the artist reveals not only the rigour of his training but also shows how accomplished he is regards composition as well as style, depicting his figures in a confident and elegant manner.","short_description":"A member of a Viennese artistic dynasty working solely from the Transdanubian region, Dorffmaister was an accomplished fresco painter, living from 1762 until his death in Sopron. The Voss Orphanage altarpiece, influenced by Viennese academic style, is one of his best studies.","type":"Painting (Oil sketch; *bozzetto*)","holder":"Sopron Museum","initial_owner":"Voss Orphanage,  Sopron","dates":"1772","location":"Sopron, Nyugat-Magyarország / West Hungary","dimensions":"H: 52.8 cm; w: 32.4 cm","place_of_production":"Voss Orphanage,  Sopron","method_for_datation":"The altarpiece after this sketch is signed and dated and still in situ","provenance":"Voss Orphanage,  Sopron","bibliography":"Galavics, G., (ed) “Cat. Nr. 27” in *Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993.  \nZsámbéky, M., “Cat. Nr. 7, 8” in *Stephan Dorffmaister pinxit*, exhibition catalogue, (ed. L. Kostyál, M. Zsámbéky), Szombathely–Zalaegerszeg, 1997.","author":"Zsuzsanna Boda (after Géza Galavics)","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Viktor Mészáros","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Adoration of the Shepherds","Altarpiece","Anna Dorothea Lanius","Charles Voss von Ehrenfels","György Primes","István Dorffmaister","Maria Theresia","orphanage","patronage","religious object"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"2be85362-6e14-5698-94e1-a895d7c03a8e":{"name":"*Birtles in Jerusalem*","description":"Sgt. Birtles, Charles Warren’s chief assistant during the work in Jerusalem, climbing down into the destruction debris of Herod’s Temple in the Tyropoean Valley.","type":"Sketch","holder":"The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","dates":"1872","location":"London","provenance":"?"},"2c586151-177a-57bd-9616-76904bd42503":{"name":"*Surre Procession*","description":"The Italian Orientalist painter Stefano Ussi's painting *Surre Regiment* depicts the deva caravan carrying gifts from Cairo to Kaaba, the pilgrims and a regiment of the Ottoman army assigned to protect the caravan. *Surre Regiment* is the largest painting of the Painting Collection of the National Palaces. The composition reflects the emotions of Muslims during the pilgrimage to Mecca, whose ethnic structures, growing styles and points of view regarding Islam are different. The frame of the painting dated 1873 is surrounded by Arabic Kufic script, which is a part of the 126th verse in Surah Al-Imran that reads, “There is no help or victory except from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise”. *Surre Regiment* is presumed to be included in the Palace’s collection by being purchased or given by Mısır Hıdivi as a gift for Sultan Abdülaziz.","type":"Painting","holder":"The Painting Collection of the The Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Vice Secretary General, National Palaces, Dolmabahçe Palace","dates":"1873","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"2c92d4ed-2be6-5131-8bdb-330af53fbc0b":{"name":"The Traveller Gives Water to the Dog","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di (d. 1292)","description":"Marked as page 81 in the manuscript, this is the third painting to appear in the Bustan. It illustrates the second chapter on charitable acts. It shows a man offering a thirsty dog some water.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book* , Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/the-traveller-gives-water-to-the-dog-akm284.5","keywords":["Bustan","dog","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","Sa‘di","Sadi","Traveller","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"2d72d94d-e1c6-5a81-840c-a012724c9917":{"name":"Loss","description":"Ismail Shammout’s Loss can be used to discuss displacement, exile, and the emotional aftermath of the Nakba. Painted in 1955, the work shows displaced Palestinians in what appears to be a refugee camp, where survival, protection, and uncertainty define everyday life. The central image of a mother holding and covering her child transforms political rupture into an intimate scene of fear, care, and fragile hope. For this reason, the painting is especially useful for explaining how modern Palestinian art gave visual form to loss, forced migration, and the struggle to preserve identity after 1948.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"1055","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 96.5 cm; width: 80.5 cm; Depth: 6 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/loss-mat2011173","keywords":["Displacement","Exile","forced migration","Nakba","Palestinian identity","refugees"],"materials":["Canvas","Oil paint"]},"2d816e3d-dd49-518b-8af2-f3ada0d2875b":{"name":"\"The Story of the Princess of the Blue Pavillion: The Youth of Rum Is Entertained in a Garden by a Fairy and her Maidens\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1550–1605) copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It depicts a story told by a princess to the king Bahram Gur, about a youth and the fairy queen he imagines meeting nightly in a lush garden.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8cm, width: 15.9cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nAshton, L., Sir, ed. \"A Commemorative Catalogue of the Exhibiton Held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London 1947-48.\" In *The Art of India and Pakistan.*, no.652, New York: Coward-McCann, (1949).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., \"Islamic Art.\" in *MMA Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 1975).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2011).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nStronge, S., *The Great Mughals Art, Architecture and Opulance.*, London: V&A Publications, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446567","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"301c225c-a1be-58da-b355-55c3b3a1d1e6":{"name":"*A watchman on a Constantinople street*","description":"This painting shows an old watchman, carrying his lantern around the old streets of Istanbul. By the times of sultan Abd al-Hamid II (1293 H/1876 CE – 1327 H/1909 CE) the nature of urban life in the Ottoman empire began to change markedly. In Istanbul, Izmir, Edirne, Salonica and other major cities, streets were paved and lit with gas lamps, while horse drawn trams increasingly plied the streets. Political reforms and  new technologies introduced in the13th century H/ 19th century CE gradually transformed Istanbul into a modern international city. Innovative technological achievements such as electric lighting became more and more common, slowly replacing traditionally essential services like those provided by the watchmen of the city, guarding the city quarters with their hand-held lanterns during the hours of darkness.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira late 13th – early 14th century / AD late 19th – early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"30b613c8-c840-5eba-a2ea-3334a058e6c5":{"name":"*The Temptations of Saint Antony*","alternate_name":"*Le tentazioni di Sant'Antonio*","description":"The painting by Domenico Morelli shown at the Universal Exposition in Paris, it’s among the artist’s most complex artworks. Both realistic and symbolic elements characterise the painting, as well as a strong mystic, but at the same time erotic, tension. Inspired by *La Tentation de Saint-Antoine* by Gustave Flaubert from 1874, the painting shows realism in the imaginary setting influenced by oriental elements. The work was finished in 1878 and sent to the French merchant Goupil to be shown at the Universal Exposition in Paris. It was also presented at the National Exposition in Turin in 1880 and completely misunderstood by contemporaries who blamed Morelli for having resigned to make fashionable art.  \nA smaller version of it was painted by the artist while making a lot of preparatory drawings in which Saint Anthony is standing next to the rock wall. In the final version the Saint is seated on the ground trying to resist the temptations embodied by the two half-naked women on the left.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1878","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"30f5e9ae-837a-53a1-bbb9-25a8759da077":{"name":"*David with the Head of Goliath*","description":"The painting shows the key moment in the Old Testament story of David depicting the head of the giant Goliath, killed with a slingshot by the young shepherd. The canvas belonged to Cardinal Scipione Borghese from at least 1613, in which year, following payment, it was framed. The work dates from the artist's second stay in Naples (1609–1610), when Caravaggio, fleeing Rome having been convicted of killing a man, nevertheless continued to maintain a relationship with Cardinal Scipione. The latter's influence on his uncle Pope Paul V, after the painting was sent by the painter as proof of penance, convinced the Pope to grant a pardon. During his return journey, Caravaggio was delayed on the Tuscan coast near Port'Ercole, and died of unknown causes in July 1610, never reaching Rome. The oldest sources already recognise the artist's self-portrait in Goliath's face, but opinion differs regarding the young hero. Some see a self-portrait of the artist as a young man. As usual, the composition, executed using dark colours, demonstrates a lively and acute drama simply through the expressiveness of the faces. On David's unsheathed sword we can see some letters that have been interpreted to represent the virtuous motto “*HumilitAS Occidit Superbiam*”.","short_description":"Caravaggio innovatively painted himself as Goliath and sent the painting to Pope Paul V seeking pardon for the murder he had committed. The canvas may in fact be a double self-portrait, as David could be a portrait of the painter as a young man. The use of artificial light by Caravaggio has a moral function, probably expressing divine grace. It was at this time that Caravaggio’s artistic influence began to spread around the world.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"1609/10","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 125 cm; w: 101 cm","place_of_production":"Naples (?)","provenance":"Collezione Scipione Borghese (dal 1613)","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.114, pp. 79–80.  \nColiva, A., in *Caravaggio l'ultimo tempo 1606–1610*, exhibition catalogue (Naples), Verona, 2004, pp. 137–139, cat.14.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","self portrait","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"31375bcb-5762-5e4c-858e-10020d55be9a":{"name":"The Sealed Fountain","description":"One of the springs which feeds into Solomon's Pools at Artas. This watercolour shows a vaulted structure which is now known as the Spring House, in which water from 'Ain Farujeh is fed into the Lower Pool, which is the largest of the three reservoirs. The Spring House is situated in the eastern dam wall of the Lower Pool. Recent excavations and refurbishments have revealed the complex history of the pools over two millennia.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1287 / AD 1870","location":"London","dimensions":"27.5 x 38.5cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1870 and signed by the artist.","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donation","bibliography":"Schick, C., “Die Wasserversorgung von ser Stadt Jerusalem in gescheichtlicher und topographischer Darstellung mit Orignal karten und Plaenen”, In *Zeitschrift der deutschen Palaestina Vereins* 1: 132–76 (1878).  \n  \nAdams, M.J., Letteney, M., Peers, M.T.B., “Survey and excavation at Solomon's Pools, Palestine: 2018 preliminary report”, *Palestine Exploration Quarterly* 151 (1): 15–35 (2019).","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Artas","Bethlehem","Solomon’s Pools"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"31cb9d95-2ea5-5b0f-87f9-ad3c5b11a8f1":{"name":"*St. Charles Borromeo Consoling the Plague-Stricken*","description":"The picture derives from events that took place during a plague epidemic in Milan in 1576. The subject is a frequently depicted moment in the life of St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), an archbishop and cardinal of Milan. The promptness of his canonisation, in 1610, does much to confirm his popularity, the cult of which reached the Habsburg monarchy. Sambach also painted an identical subject in 1752–1753 for a side altar in the Pilgrimage Church of the Holy Virgin in Sloup, near Brno. The picture was inspired by a much-copied painting by Pierre Mignard (c. 1647, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen). Beyond doubt, Sambach also drew on the approach of Johann Michael Rottmayr employed from 1721 to paint a picture for the Chapter Church in Salzburg, which develops Mignard’s model and achieved considerable popularity in Central Europe.  \nIn the signature of his Brno picture, Sambach ascribes its composition to Daniel Gran, who had painted a fresco on the presbytery wall of the same church in 1746. The two versions by Sambach share only one compositional motif. This is the figure of a seated, sick woman towards whom the saint is bending and who, in both cases, is being supported in the same manner by an assisting figure. St. Charles Borromeo is shown at a realistically rendered moment, reciting a prayer, his look averted from the dying woman, openly reading from the book held by an acolyte who is even indicating the place in the text. He appears lifelike and much more spontaneous than the traditional approach employed in the Sloup picture. In the Brno painting, Charles’s face is also more precisely modelled on the saint’s genuine appearance as captured by his contemporaries and found, for example, in a print by Giovanni Ambrogio Figino (1548–1608). The figure of the man standing in the background is also probably a portrait, and may be František Alexandr Hartl of Hartenberg, architect of the church in Matějovce and the person behind Gran’s – and possibly Sambach’s – involvement.","short_description":"A picture from the Matějovce Church which shows the archbishop and cardinal of Milan tending to plague victims. In the signature, the composition is ascribed to D. Gran, who painted a fresco in the same church in 1746. The composition reflects similar approaches to the subject by P. Mignard and J. M. Rottmayr.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","initial_owner":"Church of Saints Linhart and Oldřich, Matějovce","dates":"1746–1750","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 298 cm; w: 151 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"The picture is marked *… le Gran invent C. Sambach fe.* The church in Matějovce was completed in 1746; D. Gran's fresco in the presbytery is dated 1746. Its counterpart, the St. Charles Borromeo picture, was originally Sambach's painting of St. John of Nepomuk, mediator to the dying and the persecuted (whereabouts unknown). Both pictures were mentioned and attributed to Sambach by J. P. Cerroni.","provenance":"Church of Saints Linhart and Oldřich, Matějovce","obtention":"The picture is from the side altar of St. Charles Borromeo in the Church of Saints Linhart and Oldřich, Matějovce. It was acquired by the Moravian Gallery in Brno in 1984.","bibliography":"Petr Arijčuk, Franz Anton Maulbertsch oder Caspar Franz Sambach? Bemerkungen zur Urheberschaft der Vorlage zu Jakob Matthias Schmutzers Grafikblatt Der Hl. Johannes von Nepomuk als Fürsprecher der Sterbenden und Verfolgten, in Eduard Hindelang – Lubomír Slavíček (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und Mitteleuropa. Festschrift zum 30-jährigen Bestehen des Museums Langenargen,* Langenargen–Brno, 2007, p. 257.  \nPetr Arijčuk, Ke zprávám Jana Petra Cerroniho o obrazech Caspara Franze Sambacha v Českém Rudolci a v Matějovci, in *Bulletin Moravské galerie v Brně 64*, 2008, pp. 136–140.","author":"Petr Arijčuk","copy_editor":"Zora Wörgötter","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","Disease"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"333072e2-7b70-5d9f-885f-267dbbb500a9":{"name":"Pair of lacquer book covers","short_description":"This binding has been detached from the unknown manuscript it once covered. The front cover depicts Fath ʻAli Shah Qajar (second ruler of the Qajar dynasty, r. 1798–1834), reportedly a passionate and skilled falconer, astride a horse holding a falcon as he looks out at the viewer. The back cover depicts a conversation between a youth, possibly a prince, and a young wandering dervish (*qalandar*), an image associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. The absence of the original manuscript makes it is difficult to confirm the intended meaning of the images on these covers or the connection between them.","type":"Book covers","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1800–40","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21 x 16.4cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animal","binding","Book-cover","covers","figure","human-figure","manuscript"],"materials":["oil paint and lacquer","Papier-mâché"]},"339661cd-4f3b-50e8-ac7b-98082ee3d45c":{"name":"*The mule which carries the Qur’an to Mecca*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"345dfb37-6c70-5521-8c13-8c1dd4eec83c":{"name":"*St. Mary the Magdalene*","description":"St. Mary the Magdalene is kneeling in front of the crucifix, next to her are a skull and an open book. She looks at the angels holding a chalice and a crown of thorns, symbols of the Passion of Christ and pointing to heaven.  \nThe painting shows a skilled thecnique and brilliant colours both deriving from the deep knowledge of the local pictorial tradition (the Carraccis, Guido Reni) together with that of Venetian and Roman contemporary painting.  \nThe picture is still in the original stucco framing. The cartuche above mentions the date 1757, when the painting and its pendant were put in the oratory and the chaplain Biagi paid for them. The coat of arms above the painting says “INVENI QUEM DILIGIT ANIMA MEA = TENUI EUM”.","short_description":"Saint Mary Magdalene kneels in front of the crucifix with her attributes next to her. She looks at the angels above, holding a chalice and a crown of thorns, the symbols of the Passion of Christ. The painter, Gaetano Gandolfi, looks at the Bolognese painting of the seventeenth-century and at the contemporary Roman and Venetian schools.","type":"Painting","holder":"Oratory of the Blessed Virgin of the Intercession (Beata Vergine del Suffragio)","initial_owner":"Commissioned by the Chaplain, I. Biagi","dates":"1756","location":"Bazzano, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"213 x 157 cm.","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Date (1757) and patron (Biagi) are quoted in the cartuche and are referred both to the painting and its pendant.","obtention":"Made for the oratory.","bibliography":"Biagi Maino, D. *Gaetano Gandolfi*, Turin, 1995, p. 344.  \nBiagi Maino, D. “Gli inizi dei Gandolfi e la cultura artistica Bolognese alla metà del Settecento”, *Annali. Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell'Arte Roberto Longhi:*  2,1989, p. 121.  \nThiem, C. in *Guido Reni e l'Europa. Fama e fortuna*, (exhibition catalogue) (ed. S. Ebert-Schiffer, A. Emiliani and H. Schleier),  Bologna, 1988, pp. 541-542.  \nCazort, M. in *I Gandolfi. Ubaldo, Gaetano, Mauro. Disegni e dipinti* (exhibition catalogue), Vicenza, 1987, p. 43.  \nVolpe, C. “I Gandolfi”, *L'arte del Settecento emiliano. L'accademia Clementina* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. A. Emiliani), Bologna, 1979, p. 94, p. 113, p. 116.","workshop":"Bolognese Late baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Ufficio Beni culturali ecclesiastici della diocesi di Bologna.","author":"Giulia Gandolfi","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","keywords":["Academic art","Altarpiece","Christian themes","Gaetano Gandolfi","Pendant","Religious/liturgical painting","St. Mary the Magdalene","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"34fa4908-e715-5899-b8b5-002b54cad2c5":{"name":"Two dragons entwined on a spray of stylised foliage","short_description":"Probably executed in the Ottoman court atelier (*naqqashkhana*) in Istanbul, the remarkable intricacy of line and detail of this drawing belies its minute size. It belongs to a distinct style of painting that developed separate from the highly conceptual tradition of manuscript illustration in the second half of the 10th/16th century. Known as the \"saz style\" after the reed pen employed in its creation, this style highlighted fantastic and dazzling imagery that incorporates chinoiserie motifs and feathery leaves. Here, concealed among the dense, bristly foliage, are two silently slithering dragons, barely visible at first glance. Rather than emphasising pure line, the anonymous artist was caught up with the textural qualities of the dragons' scaly, speckled bodies and the sinuous veins of the serrated leaves. Drawings such as this were evidently reproduced through the aid of pounces or stencils; the LACMA depiction seems to have been made with the identical pounced drawing as a sketch in the Louvre, which was likewise mounted as an album page.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 982–983 / AD c. 1575","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"18.1 x 9.4cm","method_for_datation":"While there are no dated works in the “saz style” an album presented to Murad III (Heigra 982-1003 / AD 1574-95) in Hegira 980 / AD 1572-72, now in Vienna, Austrian National Library (Codex Mixtus 313) includes works that closely parallel the drawing in terms of subject and style.","method_for_provenance":"The calligraphic structure of the drawing and the serrated edges of the leaves and bristly texture of the dragons’ hide are all typical of the Ottoman “saz style”.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Kevorkian Foundation (Hagop Kevorkian - 1872-1962), until 1969 (sale, Sotheby’s, London, December 1, 1969, lot 15, sold to); Edwin Binney, 3rd (1866-1934), Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1985 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.","bibliography":"Binney, Edwin, 3rd, and Denny, Walter B., *Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edward Binney, 3rd*, Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1979: 18-21.  \nDenny, Walter B., “Turkish Ceramics and Textiles in the Binney Collection,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 (1987): 98.  \nPal, Pratapaditya, Lentz, Thomas W., Canby, Sheila R., Binney, Edwin, 3rd, Denny, Walter B. and Markel, Stephen “Arts from Islamic Cultures: Los Angeles County Museum of Art,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 : 6 (1987): 98.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Rev. ed., Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 2005: 49, fig. 46.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Chinese influence","Chinese motifs","chinoiserie","court life","floral decoration","imaginary animal","manuscript","miniature","saz","vegetal decoration","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["and gold on paper","colour washes","Ink"]},"351f1d5e-9300-5133-9200-12abc5718e8c":{"name":"*Mosque of Sidi Bu Madyan, Tlemcen, Algeria*","description":"The mosque adjoins the shrine of Sidi Bu Madyan, a twelfth century holy-man, and was built by the Marinid dynasty in 1339. Fabrizi's view shows clearly the richly carved stucco decoration framing the simple horseshoe arches; through one of these is seen the tiled mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) and the wooden minbar (pulpit). Fabrizi has captured the moment after the formal prayers when each worshipper makes a personal supplication to Allah, holding his hands out in a gesture to receive His blessing.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1881","location":"London","provenance":"Algeria","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"35645306-e708-561a-ae81-24e697df6d15":{"name":"*Woman In Oriental Dress*","alternate_name":"*Albanian Woman*; *Albanian Woman in a Harem*","description":"In order to evoke and convey the spirit of the Balkans and the Orient as faithfully as possible, Paja Jovanović meticulously recorded each detail of the interior of a typical Balkan or Eastern house. He also collected props that made up a family’s inventory of furniture (e.g. the hexagonal decorative table to the left), and carefully studied the physiognomies and characters of the men and women he encountered in the southern Balkans, in Egypt, Constantinople, the Caucasus and elsewhere. The precision of draughtsmanship and freshness of colour in this painting by Paja Jovanović ranks it among his more successful works from the mid-1880s.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"mid-1880s","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Munich, Germany","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"35836245-6e1f-5582-81e3-6a2e34a2f528":{"name":"*St. John the Baptist*","alternate_name":"San Giovannino","description":"This painting is one of the last undertaken by Caravaggio, during his second stay in Naples in 1610. The canvas shows an adolescent John the Baptist, a subject particularly dear to the troubled artist, who treated it on several occasions. In addition to the theme of solitude, the minister, who lived and died preparing for the coming of Christ, personifies sacrifice, symbolised by the ram and the bright red cape. Light brings out shape and detail from the brown background: the boy's body and the animal's fleece. According to the historiography, this piece and two others (*Magdalene* and *St.* *John the Baptist at the Fountain*) were intended as gifts for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, following his intercession with his uncle Pope Paul V.  \nHaving been condemned to death in Rome following the murder of Ranuccio Tomassoni in 1606, the artist left Rome taking refuge in Naples with the help of his patron Costanza Colonna Marquis of Caravaggio. In 1610, returning to Rome in the hope of a pardon, he stopped in Palo (a small port to the north of the city) and, probably due to a case of mistaken identity, he was imprisoned for two days. Having secured his freedom, he realised that he had lost all of his baggage, which had been sent back to the Parthenopean city. In a desperate attempt to recover it, Caravaggio died, possibly of malaria, on a beach near Port'Ercole in July 1610. Being notified of the event, and evidently aware of the gift of three paintings, Cardinal Scipione took immediate action to secure them, demonstrating the high esteem in which he held Merisi's work. Nonetheless, the cardinal only managed to recover one of the three works (*St. John).* It was initially housed in the family's city residence in Campus Martius.","short_description":"Caravaggio was bringing this painting back from Naples to Rome as a gift for Cardinal Scipione Borghese. He was most probably stopped at Palo (Lazio) owing to mistaken identity and the artwork came into Borghese’s collection only after the death of the artist in July 1610. The theme of St. John was particularly dear to the artist, who recognised himself in this Saint because, like him, he felt the need to isolate himself from reality.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Gift for Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"c. 1610","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 152 cm; w: 125 cm","place_of_production":"Naples","provenance":"Scipione Borghese Collection (from 1613)","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome 1959, n.113, pp. 78–79.  \nColiva, A., in *Caravaggio l'ultimo tempo 1606–1610*, exhibition catalogue (Naples), Verona, 2004, cat.19, pp. 148–149.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","model","patronage","Realism","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"3583d624-13fa-58e9-9d82-9ef1b2d476f5":{"name":"*Beethoven at the Palace*","description":"Caliph Abdulmecid was interested in art in addition to administration. He opened many art exhibitions. He was chosen as honorary president of the Society of Ottoman Painters, which was founded in 1909, and he gave considerable financial support to the monthly journal published by the society. He took part in the Galatasaray Art Exhibitions with his paintings. For example, one of his paintings was accepted for an exhibition held at Galatasaray during the first years of the First World War. His works reveal him as a colourist and an accomplished portrait painter. Caliph Abdulmecid showed his paintings at the Viyana Exhibition, which was the first exhibition opened by Turkish painters in Europe in 1918.","type":"Painting","holder":"Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting and Sculpture Museum","dates":"1915","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"35a55142-cbad-545f-9150-ff76ab018f9b":{"name":"The Archangel Gabriel","description":"This icon depicts the Archangel Gabriel turned to the left, indicating that it comes from the Deesis tier of an iconostasis. He wears the *alb* (tunic) of a deacon and the liturgical coat of a bishop. In his right hand, he holds a sphere of light and in his left hand, a rod. The Archangel Gabriel, whose name means “man of God” in Hebrew, has been called the leader of the heavenly hosts. He is associated with numerous biblical events, including the announcements of the births of Mary and John the Baptist, and most importantly, the Annunciation, in which Gabriel proclaimed to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear a son named Jesus.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1600","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 90cm, Width: 37.5cm, Depth: 5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2010. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","workshop":"Rostov","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Angels","Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"35dafca1-8ab1-5d22-8ffd-d39248a402df":{"name":"*A Ferry Crossing the Gagos River*","short_description":"This is one of the both unnecessary and revolutionary illustrations in Abdallah ibn al-Fadl’s copy of Dioscorides’s medical treatise.  \nThe text states that on the shores of the Gagos River, jet can be found effective against pain in the uterus, but the artist took the opportunity to depict a ferry with a helmsman, two rowers, and eight passengers looking out of a porthole.","type":"Miniature from a copy of *Kitab al-hashaish*, a translation of Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad?","keywords":["Abbasid","De Materia Medica","Illustration","medical plant","medicine","science","scientific manuscript"]},"3603d007-07c7-5d43-ad14-c40d81e1d215":{"name":"A Sinner’s Plea to God","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"Marked as page 177 in the manuscript, this is the 12th and final painting to appear in the Bustan. It depicts group of sages in the wilderness: two debating over books, one praying alone, and one washing in a stream. Below the painting is an inscription in red naming the painter Hiranand, who was assigned by the workshop master to complete this illustration.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/a-sinners-plea-to-god-akm284.14","keywords":["Ablution","Bustan","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","pray","river","Sa‘di","Sadi","sin","sinner","stream","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"364e700b-5360-57b0-8f8c-45b5b51896ba":{"name":"*Lot and His Daughters*","description":"The subject of the painting is covered in the Old Testament (Genesis, 19, 30–38), telling the story of Lot fleeing the destruction of the town of Sodom with his family. Alone in a cave with his two daughters, they give Lot wine for two successive nights and in his drunkenness he does not realise that he lies first with one and then the other, thus guaranteeing the continuation of his line.  \nThe canvas is part of a series of works used as *supraporte* (“over-door”) in the Borghese's city residence in Campo Marzio. The painting, executed by Guerrieri between 1617 and 1618, was commissioned by Marcantonio, a relative of Cardinal Scipione.  \nThe work was long thought to be by Gerrit van Hontorst, and highlights the importance of northern painting for Guerrieri, although he was also strongly influenced by Caravaggesque light. The oil lamp, which appears in the bottom left-hand corner, brightening the nocturnal ambience of the episode and illuminating the faces of the three protagonists, highlights the headdresses and jewels of the two maidens. Again the contrast between light and dark reveals the evident movement of the hands of the three figures, demonstrating that the artist was open to innovation, anticipating by a short time the great period of candlelight art. This latter is linked to the artistic trend deriving from the luminism of Caravaggio and Bassano, whose paintings were already in Cardinal Scipione's collection at that time. The handle of the valuable jug used by the maiden to pour the wine is engraved with a dragon, which along with the eagle, are the heraldic beasts of the Borghese.","short_description":"The humble yet monumental language of Caravaggio influenced Guerrieri. The elegance of the young woman’s clothes contrasts with Loth’s sober, brown mantle. The painter also took an interest in how his contemporaries in Rome used light. The canvas was probably commissioned by Marcantonio Borghese.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Marcantonio Borghese","dates":"1617","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 142 cm; w: 164.5 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Marcantonio Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.134, pp. 94–95.  \nEmiliani, A., *Giovan Francesco Guerrieri da Fossombrone*, Cittadella, 1992, n.22, pp. 33–34.  \nFumagalli, E., in *Giovan Francesco Guerrieri. Un pittore del Seicento fra Roma e le Marche*, exhibition catalogue, Verona, 1997, n.9, pp. 92–9.  \nBarchiesi, S., in *Riflessi Divini. La cultura del vino*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 2005, n.38, pp. 132–133.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio","Christian themes","coat of arms","Dutch painting","luminism","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"366838a9-73be-5d88-a818-531e4ee3e0d0":{"name":"Genealogical chart of Jahangir","short_description":"This is a painted genealogy of selected male figures from the house of Jahangir, the fourth emperor of Mughal India (r. 1605–1627). For the Mughals, history and genealogy played an important role in establishing their legitimacy to rule, as well as their prestigious pedigree and culture. In the portraits, Jahangir and his descendants display similar idealized facial features, robes and turbans, adorned with rich fabrics and precious jewellery, as if adhering to a specific dynastic standard.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1610–1623","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"36.2 x 24.2cm","provenance":"India, Agra","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Album","folio","genealogym portrait","human","human-figure","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"3684ea69-4081-5b3d-99c4-ac49b735a423":{"name":"*L’escalier des lions* (painting)","description":"This important painting depicts the official entrance of the Palais du Bardo as it was originally, with the *escalier des lions* and Mohamed Sadok Bey exiting the palace in official uniform, accompanied by Tunisian dignitaries, preceded by protocol officers and surrounded by the beylical guard. It shows the monumental *escalier des lions* with its archways and columns on the façade. We can also see its glorious white marble columns, capitals and ceramic panels decorating the walls and mounted on plaster and stucco (*naqsh hadida*). Through the entrance doors the black and white archways in an Andalusian style can be seen on the first floor.","type":"Painting","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"19th century","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais de Carthage","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"36a5f8c4-91af-5cb4-9bf8-37f9eb7b40ac":{"name":"*Sadness*","description":"Amadeo de Sousa-Cardozo (1887–1918) was a famous Portuguese artist from the beginning of the 20th century. His career, which ended at the age of 30, is an example of international dialogue with contemporary artistic trends of his time such as cubism, futurism and expressionism.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum","dates":"c. 1915","location":"Lisbon","author":"DGPC"},"370f95db-5572-52d3-b9d7-f5099026bcc9":{"name":"*Feast of St. Anthony of Padua*","description":"The subject is a relatively scarcely represented scene from the life of St. Anthony of Padua, priest, preacher and disciple of St. Francis of Assisi. The Franciscan saint sits at the table in the house of a wealthy man, blessing goblets of wine. On the left, a *putto* brings a lily, symbol of purity and one of the saint's attributes. On the right, precious tableware is displayed, as was customary at feasts from the 16th century onwards. Although the scene is illuminated at the centre, the picture features two pictorial sections: the left symbolising austerity and humbleness and the right, luxury and superiority. The artist also draws attention to the two sections by use of character types: the face of St. Anthony with his halo reflecting spiritual delight, while the gross face of the rich man shows sensual pleasure, greed and a boorish approach to the situation. The listening man on the right points out his gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins. The painter highlights the scene with a contrasting motif of deep-red drapery, which sets the colour tone for the whole picture. The painting stands out among Kracker's altarpieces and ceiling frescos because of its genre-painting atmosphere and use of chiaroscuro. It also manifests the artist's bold monogram *JK*, but not as distinctively as on some of his more sizeable compositions.  \nThe picture was part of the decoration of the refectory in the Franciscan Monastery in Moravská Třebová, together with *The Feast of the Holy Family* and *The Feast of St. Wenceslas*.  \nKracker was a leading exponent of the Vienna Academy style represented by Paul Troger and Michelangelo Unterberger. After studying in Vienna Kracker was active in the workshop of Josef Tadeáš Rotter in Brno, and later settled in Znojmo. His best-known works include ceiling paintings and altarpieces in the Church of St. Nicholas in Prague and in Nová Říše. His later work was associated with Hungary, where he joined the service of Bishop K. Esterházy in Jager.","short_description":"The subject is a relatively scarcely represented scene from the life of St. Anthony of Padua. The canvas formed part of the decoration in the refectory of the Franciscan Monastery in Moravská Třebová. It is an early piece by the artist, J. L. Kracker who was active in Bohemia, Moravia and Hungary.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","initial_owner":"Franciscan Monastery, Moravská Třebová","dates":"1759","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 148.7 cm; w: 93.4 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia","method_for_datation":"The picture is marked with the artist's monogram *JK* bottom left, on a vessel.","provenance":"Franciscan Monastery, Moravská Třebová","obtention":"The picture comes from the refectory of the Franciscan Monastery in Moravská Třebová. It was transferred to the Moravian Gallery in 1963.","bibliography":"Alois Czerny, Mährisch-Trübauer Künstlernamen, *Mitteilungen des Erzherzog Rainer-Museums für Kunst und Gewerbe*, Brno, XXVIII, 1010, pp. 1–11.  \nJana Vránová, Jan Lukáš Kracker, autor křížové cesty v Opavě-Kateřinkách*, Sborník památkové péče v severomoravském kraji* 3, 1977, pp. 161–162.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Malířství 18. století na Moravě ze sbírek Moravské galerie*, Brno, 1968, p. 19.  \nIvo Krsek, in Ivo Krsek –­­ Zdeněk Kudělka –­­ Miloš Stehlík –­­ Josef Válka, *Umění baroka na Moravě a ve Slezsku*, ed. Zdeněk Kudělka, Prague, 1996, p. 501, cat. 223.  \nAnna Jávor, *Johann Lucas Kracker*. *Ein Maler des Spätbarock in Mitteleuropa,* Budapest, 2005, pp. 73, 259, cat. 113.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Attribute","chiaroscuro","refectory","symbolism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"37ddf905-ac01-5a2a-b943-6617e2945431":{"name":"*Rustam at the Fort near Mount Sepand* (folio from a *Shahnama* manuscript)","short_description":"A folio from the manuscript of the *Shahnama* (Book of Kings) epic poem by Ferdowsi tells the story of Rustam's military campaign to Mount Sepand to destroy the impregnable fortress city. The painting illustrates an episode when Rustam and his army approached the walls of a fortress. The warriors resorted to treachery, pretending to be salt merchants. The fortress guards believed the “merchants” and opened the gates to them. According to the content of the episode, Rustam is portrayed as a merchant, without his traditional attributes of a hero: tiger skin, helmet and weapons. Shabby figures of people, types of their headdresses and Chinese-style clouds may suggest the painter’s affiliation with a Shiraz school of miniature.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"Second half of the AD 15th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 23.8cm, Width: 14.2cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date specified, school suggested).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Grube, E., \"The Miniatures of Shiraz\", *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 21 (1963): 285-95.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","workshop":"Shiraz school (?)","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Shahnama","Timurid"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"3820f22f-64c5-54c7-80da-20ed18f8af7b":{"name":"The constellations Andromeda and Pisces  \nFolio from a dispersed *Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib* (Images of the Fixed Stars)","short_description":"The lady in this saffron-coloured robe and crown-like helmet is a personification of the constellation Andromeda, which was identified by the second-century CE astronomer Ptolemy and continues to be considered a major constellation. With the translation of Ptolemy’s *Almagest* in the court of the ninth-century Caliph al-Ma’mun in Baghdad, astronomers working under the patronage of the Muslim rulers in modern-day Iraq and Iran adopted the Greco-Roman astronomical knowledge and expanded on it from the indigenous Arab (*Anwa’*) and Indian astronomical traditions, in this illustration combining Andromeda with Pisces. The most prominent example of this tradition is 'Images of the Fixed Stars' written by the Iranian astronomer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (died 986), which contained two representations of each constellation, one looking up at the constellation from Earth and the other looking down on it from above. Al-Sufi’s work continued to be in broad circulation, and various copies exist in major museum collections.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21.3 x 14.7cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["astronomical","astronomy","constellations","female-figure","figure","folio","science","space","stars","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"38745087-0b6a-5699-94f5-57d4e4dbd0f8":{"name":"*Idolaters Before an Idol*","short_description":"A *Fal-nama* is a kind of book of divination that can be consulted at random. Opposite each painting in an explanatory text. The text for the museum’s stylistically very unusual painting is found in the Los Angeles County Museum and explains that the scene is enacted in the “Azure monastery.” The omens associated with the miniature are highly inauspicious.","type":"Miniature from a copy of Jafar al-Sadiq’s *Fal-nama*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira c. 960 / AD c. 1550","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz or Qasvin","keywords":["divination","esotericism","Imam","manuscript","painting","Shi`a"]},"387a8cd6-9d72-5dac-9a2c-95552d3ac478":{"name":"*The Adoration of the Shepherds*","description":"This painting was executed by the Neapolitan painter during his stay in Bologna, for the Chartusian church of San Gerolamo. It is part of a series of eight, commissioned to different local painters, narrating episodes of the life of Christ.  \nThere is a strong naturalism inspired by Caravaggio and Ribera, but combined with the features of Neapolitan baroque such as dynamic movement, vivid colours, quick brush strokes and a lively composition. Nunzio Rossi shows some of the characters of the art in Naples around 1630–1650, when the local masters were working together with famous foreigners such as Van Dyck and Rubens. A touch of the style of Guido Reni, an artist that Rossi met while working in Bologna, is evident in the group of the Madonna with Child, reminiscent two pictures of the same subject (Naples, the Chartreuse, and Feldsberg castle), painted by Reni when the young Neapolitan came to Bologna.  \nThe focal centre of the composition is Madonna adoring the Child. Surrounding them are the shepherds and peasants with their animals and humble presents for the new born baby. The upper part of the painting is full of lively singing angels.","short_description":"This painting was painted in Bologna for the Carthusian church of San Gerolamo. The strong colours and swift movements are indebted to the city of Naples with its paintings by foreign artists like Rubens and Van Dick and those by the member of the local school. In the Madonna with Child, note the influence of Guido Reni, the master of Rossi during his stay in Bologna.","type":"Painting","holder":"Palazzo Comunale, Antechamber of the Mayor","owner":"Comune di Bologna, Complesso Monumentale della Certosa","initial_owner":"Don Daniele Granchio, prior of the charte house of  San Gerolamo","dates":"1644","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"420 x 470 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Signed and dated “Nvtio/Rossi.F. /1644”.","provenance":"Church of San Gerolamo, Bologna","obtention":"Restored and moved for conservation reasons to the Palazzo Comunale.","bibliography":"Novelli Radice, M. “Inediti di Nunzio Rossi”, *Napoli nobilissima* 19, 1980, pp. 185-198.  \nPellicciari, A. “Due dipinti di Giovan Andrea ed Elisabetta Sirani per S. Girolamo della Certosa”, *Il Carrobbio* 29, 2003, pp. 179-196.  \n*Nunzio Rossi. La Natività ritrovata dalla Certosa a Palazzo d'Accursio*, (eds. R. Martorelli, A. Pellicciari and O. Nonfarmale), Bologna, 2005.","workshop":"Neapolitan Baroque","author":"Mirella Cavalli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Adoration of the Shepherds","Cartusians","Chartreuse of Bologna","Christian themes","Dutch influence","Naples","Neapolitan painters","Neapolitan painting","Nunzio Rossi","Pendant","religious orders","Religious/liturgical painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"389ca57a-de31-5831-9a59-bb851adbe95e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Umar escapes from bondage and shaves the beard from Kamran's face","short_description":"Umar is one of the spies (*Ayyar*), who support the continuous fights of Hamza.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Hamzanama","painting","Umar"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"38a5dd82-e33f-5f29-a312-1c70ba39a771":{"name":"*Woman Playing a Stringed Instrument*","short_description":"A young Persian woman is dressed in a red and cream floral striped jacket over a black bodice. Her lower body is blocked by a stringed instrument, which appears to have lacquered borders of floral motifs. She is seated on a carpet in a pavilion with a red and black ornamented gate behind her. Above the gate is a solid turquoise field and a suspended red curtain. The gold frame that surrounds the painting has an arched opening at the centre, which reinforces the architectural setting.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; painting","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira early 13th century / AD early 19th century","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 134.6 x 63.5 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["Iran","musical instruments","musician","painting","Qajar","women"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"3948e69b-7a69-50c3-8b58-824c4c6e5d46":{"name":"Moods: Those Who Go","alternate_name":"*Stati d’animo. Quelli che vanno*","description":"Umberto Bocccioni moved to Rome in 1901 where he was interested in painting, journalism and literature. Through his friendship with Severini, Boccioni attended Balla’s atelier and, at the same time, the school of nude of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. In 1907 he moved to Milan and met Previati and Marinetti, who wrote the Manifest of Futurism. In 1910 he signed the Manifest of Futurist Painters, in 1912 he signed the Manifest of Futurist Sculpture. His studies of Munch and Previati influenced the cycle called Moods. He starts doing numerous preparatory studies for the triptych: *Farewell, Those Who Go, Those Who Stay*; in which he set a correspondence between, colours, lines and feelings, moods. The painting is one of the studies for the series *Those Who Go* that belong to the first of two trilogies about Moods created in 1911, before the artist moved to Paris.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1911","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"39c77b9c-54ff-5cb2-bbbc-c8a5ef99dbc2":{"name":"Set of Icons from a Festival Tier","description":"This set of 12 icons, the only one of its kind in the United States, is believed to be from the Pskov region of Russia. The icons were originally hung on the festival tier of an iconostasis, the partition separating the nave from the sanctuary of an Orthodox church. The festival tier highlights the major holidays of the Orthodox liturgical calendar. This set includes the following images:  \n  \n1\\. The Meeting of Anna and Joachim  \n2\\. The Nativity of the Virgin Mary  \n3\\. The Nativity of Christ  \n4\\. The Presentation of Christ  \n5\\. The Transfiguration  \n6\\. The Raising of Lazarus  \n7\\. The Crucifixion  \n8\\. The Three Marys at the Sepulchre  \n9\\. The Descent  \n10\\. The Ascension of Christ  \n11\\. The Holy Trinity  \n12\\. The Feast of Pentecost","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"1500s","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 62cm, Width: 42cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"From the De Wijenburgh Collection. Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Idonen Galerie, Germany, in 2012. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Life of Jesus","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"3b6dc052-9700-508f-9427-f498bf964545":{"name":"*The Seven Saints Founders of the Servite Order*","description":"The whole series consisted of ten oval pictures. Two smaller paintings which were hanging near the apse, were lost at the end of the eighteenth-century, when the high chapel was refurbished. They were originally in the church of the Servites in Budrio, a small town near Bologna.  \nThe seven saints which are the founders of the Servite order are represented in three-quarters and move with eloquent gestures. In the background are depicted episodes of their lives and the saints’ attributes.  \nAntonio Gionima, born in Venice, was one of the favourite pupils of Giuseppe Maria Crespi. The art historian Luigi Crespi praises his simple and free style and the freshness of his palette. His main features are quick brush strokes, the use of light and rich colours. He worked for a long time for the Servites of Bologna as well. For them he painted a similar series of portraits which were unfortunately lost. He died of tuberculosis when he was 35 years old.","short_description":"The eight oval pictures decorating the nave of the church of San Lorenzo in Budrio represent the founders’ saints of the Servite order. They were made by the Venetian painter Antonio Gionima, one of the favourite pupils of Giuseppe Maria Crespi. In Bologna he developed a personal style, mixing his master’s features with a sort of expressive movement possibly derived from Aureliano Milani.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of San Lorenzo","initial_owner":"Servite fathers","dates":"1720","location":"Budrio, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"202,5 x 145,5 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The Servite fathers of Budrio decided to order ten oval pictures to hang over the arches of the chapels. The prior of the convent was Giovanni Antonio Cavalli (1719-1720), and the State Archive of Bologna still retains the receipt of payment signed by Antonio Gionima, dated 29th December 1720.","provenance":"Budrio","obtention":"Moved from the church of the Servite fathers to the church of San Lorenzo.","bibliography":"Roli, R. “Per Antonio Gionima”, *Arte Antica e Moderna:* 11, 1960, p. 303.  \nRoli, R. *Pittura bolognese 1650-1800. Dal Cignani ai Gandolfi*, Bologna, 1977, p. 109, p. 269.  \nRiccomini, E. “La pittura di Giuseppe Maria Crespi e i suoi esiti a Bologna e Antonio Gionima”, *L'arte del Settecento emiliano. La pittura. L'Accademia Clementina* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. A. Emiliani), Bologna, 1979, p. 29.  \nServetti Donati, F. *Budrio casa nostra*, Budrio (Bo), 1993, p. 314, p. 333, nota 13.  \nPierguidi, S. “Gionima Antonio”, *Dizionario biografico degli italiani*, Vol., Rome, 2000, pp. 190-192.","workshop":"Late baroque","copyright":"Copyright images: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Elisabetta Berselli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Antonio Gionima","Budrio","church of St. Laurence","devotion","Giuseppe Maria Crespi","Pendant","religious orders","Religious/liturgical painting","St. Alessio","St. Amadio","St. Bonagiunta","St. Bonfiglio","St. Manetto","St. Pellegrino Laziosi","St. Sostegno","St. Uguccione","Venice"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"3b8f26e5-b410-5ae8-b48c-3504c0b4eefd":{"name":"Maria, the Celestial Queen","short_description":"An oil painting from the Qajar epoch depicts the Virgin Mary with a crown of stars standing on the crescent moon. Since the 17th century, countless prints with Christian religious motifs from European art history have been in circulation in Iran. These are not simply copied, but are always adapted to their own religious and artistic concepts. Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Sura 19 carries her name.","type":"Painting","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"Before 1886","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"H: 144.2cm, W: 102cm","method_for_datation":"Entry in the general inventory and archival documents.","method_for_provenance":"Entry in the general inventory book.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Catalog entry: \"Purchased from Dr. Josef Troll, 1887.\"","bibliography":"van Bussel, Gerard, *Geheimnisvoller Osten. Schrecken, Schätze, Schicksale, exhibition catalogue*, Burg Schlaining, 2004: 26-27.","materials":["Oil on canvas","Wood"]},"3bb4bb35-7afe-5e21-8d0c-53f810b521b9":{"name":"The Silk Bazaar, Damascus : Australians buying goods","description":"A view into the grand arched Silk Bazaar in Damascus, with a few Australian troopers bartering with some local traders on the right. One of the soldiers is on horseback with two men dismounted and one of the spare horses immediately beside them. The bazaar is crowded with people, another trooper towering over the crowd further back because he is on horseback.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"05.10.1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Unframed height: 56,5 cm; unframed width: 38,7 cm","place_of_production":"Syria","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["Australian Army","cityscape","Damascus","markets","Syria","trading"],"materials":["Watercolour and chalk on paper"]},"3bb6eb2b-6679-54ad-a0be-56e5b6e51786":{"name":"Persian miniature mounted as album leaf","alternate_name":"Shah ʿAbbas receiving an Indian ambassador","short_description":"Dated Hegira 1065 (AD 1654/55), the painting commemorates a meeting between Shah ʿAbbas I (r. Hegira 996 - 1038 / AD 1587-1629) and an Indian ambassador in 1618. We know that later in this year the Safavid ruler received both the envoy Khan ʿAlam of the Mughal ruler Jahangir (r. Hegira 1014-1037 / AD 1605-1627) and that of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah of Golconda (r. Hegira 1020-1035 / AD 1612-1626), a principality in the Deccan.  \n  \nShaykh ʿAbbasi based his composition, of which three other contemporary versions are known, on one of Bishandasʼs work (or one of the numerous copies). Bishandas accompanied the embassy and portrayed the shah and the ambassador together with their entourage seated in a forest clearing. Since Shah ʿAbbas II (r. Hegira 1052-1077 / AC 1642-1666) sent an ambassador to Golkonda in the year 1065 (1654/55), it cannot be ruled out that Shaykh ʿAbbasʼs miniature painting was intended as a diplomatic gift. If this assumption is correct, it must be a posthumous rendition of the meeting between ʿAbbas I and the ambassador from Golconda.  \n  \nIn Shaykh ʿAbbasisʼs oeuvre, references to India play a prominent role. Almost half of his works depict Indian men or women. It can also be shown that he took up motifs from Indian iconography and was even familiar with Deccani painting techniques.","type":"Miniature painting; posthumous portrait","holder":"Museum Rietberg","dates":"Hegira 1065 / AD 1654/55","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 17 x 26cm","place_of_production":"Iran","method_for_datation":"The artist signed and dated his work.","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Gift of Dr. Carlo Fleischmann Foundation","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, “Shaykh ʿAbbasi”, in: Axel Langer, *Auf dem Weg zu einem transkulturellen Stil. Die Rezeption europäischer und indischer Bildquellen in der spätsafavidischen Buchmalerei in Persien von 1600 bis 1700* , PhD thesis, Zurich: University of Zurich, 2020.  \nRobinson, B.W., \"Shah ʿAbbas and the Mughal Ambassador Khan ʿAlam: The pictorial record”,*The Burlington Magazine* , 114 no. 827 (Februry 1972): 58, 60-63.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Watercolour and gold on paper"]},"3c16e6a6-882d-588d-8f9d-b0309a8c41db":{"name":"*The Empress' boulevard*","description":"Painted in 1865, this canvas was one of many the artist created depicting \"the new boulevard of Algiers\". This boulevard, built by the opera house where Saint-Saëns was performing at the time, was the architect Frédéric Chassériau's (the painter's uncle) first significant work. It was inaugurated in 1839 by Napoléon III and the Empress Eugénie, after whom it it was named, and marked the beginning of Algiers' new, European-style urbanisation programme, which affected both the city and its surroundings. Although these changes did bring the city's inhabitants a number of comforts, they also resulted in the irrevocable destruction of a number of very important monuments from the Ottoman era.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"Late 19th century","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"3c3428ad-e6d9-50dc-93c0-7e7ab1c900d2":{"name":"*An Elephant*; *An indian Ox*; *An Antelope*","alternate_name":"*Un elefante*; *Un bove indiano*; *Un'antilope*","description":"In 1891 Filippo Palizzi donated more than 300 paintings to the National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome in order to describe his entire career through his artworks. All of them are cited in the Chronological List of 1853, which includes 12 studies depicting exotic animals done in The Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The series is considered the preparatory base for the amazing painting *Dopo il Diluvio. Uscita degli animali dall’Arca* (*After the Flood. The Animals Exiting the Ark*), commissioned by King Vittorio Emanuele II for the Museum of Capodimonte and presented in 1867 at the Universal Exposition in Paris. Other animals, like the Indian ox, the antelope and the dromedary were depicted in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris with the same aim.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1853","location":"Rome","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"3c52a005-d0c2-55da-8df4-9e080881dd43":{"name":"Muslimie. The Baghdad Railway : 'The vital point', looking north. The line branches and the section to the left goes to Constantinople, and that to the right to Baghdad.","description":"View across a bomb damaged railway intersection. Four railway tracks converge with two main tracks running into the distance, one straight on and the other curving away to the right. To the left is an abandoned steam engine, with debris on the ground beside it. Two dismounted soldiers stand with their horses to the right, near to a large building. There appears to be a gathering of mounted troops in the middle distance.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"6.11.1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Unframed height: 27,9 cm; unframed width: 48,2 cm","place_of_production":"Syria","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["bomb damage","landscape","military personnel","Railways","war debris"],"materials":["Watercolour and ink on paper"]},"3c550833-69a7-533d-a88c-2cec359eede6":{"name":"*Visitation*","description":"After studying locally in Langenargen, Maulbertsch went to Vienna where he was a pupil of Peter van Roy at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and where, in 1750, he won first prize in the academic painting competition. In 1758, he became an ordinary member of the Academy and was later a counsellor. Although both his home and workshop were in Vienna, his activities covered the entire Habsburg empire extending beyond its boundaries. Primarily a fresco painter, he was constantly overburdened with commissions from churches and secular patrons. His oeuvre includes several altarpieces, sketches and panel paintings, historical-mythological pictures, genre paintings and portraits, but also graphic works and etchings. In the course of his rich career, he traced a great arch of development from Late Baroque through Rococo to Neo-Classicism. He died in Vienna on 8 August 1796, while preparing his last great work, the fresco for Szombathely Cathedral.  \nJános Szily, the Bishop of the newly founded Szombathely diocese, commissioned Maulbertsch to decorate the salon of his personal residence in 1782. Almost 10 years later in 1791, he turned to Maulbertsch again for the altarpieces of Szombathely Cathedral. For the high altar, the Bishop ordered a picture representing the Visitation of Mary by Elizabeth, on the side altars the patron saints of Szombathely, St. Martin and St. Quirinus. In accordance with the pictorial practice at the time, the painter made some sketches which reflected his employer's requests and concepts, and sent them to Szombathely for approval. Some of these sketches have survived. The composition of the Pannonhalma sketch shows differences from the final version. On the altarpiece – executed in 1792 and gravely damaged during the World War II – Mary stands on the left, while in this sketch she stands on the right at the top of a stairway. Maulbertsch mentioned this modification in a letter he wrote to Bishop Szily in April 1792.","short_description":"Maulbertsch's later works clearly show the influence of Neo-Classicism, as seen here and in several other of the painter's major works in Hungary (for example in Vác, Győr, Pozsony (Bratislava), Pápa, Eger and Szombathely). This sketch is a version of the recently restored, large-size, Szombathely High Altar painting, which was torn to pieces at the end of the Second World War.","type":"Painting (Oil sketch)","holder":"Benedictine Abbey, Picture Gallery","initial_owner":"Bishop of Szombathely","dates":"1792","location":"Pannonhalma, Nyugat-Magyarország / West Hungary","dimensions":"H: 92 cm; w: 48.5 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna / Szombathely","method_for_datation":"By analogy and stylistic analysis","provenance":"Commissioned by János Szily, Bishop of Szombathely","obtention":"Commissioned by János Szily, Bishop of Szombathely; the Benedictine Abbey Picture Gallery, Pannonhalma","bibliography":"*Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993, pp. 267, 271–273.  \nJávor, A., “Zu Maulbertschs Spätwerk in Ungarn (Eger, Pápa, Szombathely)”, *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und Mitteleuropa. Festschrift zum 30-jährigen Bestehen des Museums Langenargen* (eds E. Hindelang and L. Slavíček), Brno–Langenargen, 2007, pp. 106–107.","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Tamás Sajó","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Anton Franz Maulbertsch","Benedictine","Bishop János Szily","Christian themes","Neo-Classicism","Pannonhalma","religious object","religious orders","Rococo","St. Elisabeth","St. Martin","St. Quirinus","Szombathely","Visitation"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"3c658c98-f2f0-52eb-abb1-a1e480cb3390":{"name":"A composite elephant with rider and groom","short_description":"The origins of composite animals may date back to early Buddhist manuscripts of Central Asia. Later, they were introduced into Persian painting and subsequently became infused with the artistic essence of Northern and Central India in the sixteenth century. Such images prominently depict humans, real and whimsical animals, *divs* (demons) or angels, combined into mosaics of intertwined yet recognized animals such as horses, camels, and oxen. In Hindu tradition, such compositions may have represented the mystical doctrine of the internal unity of all beings. Other interpretations suggest the sovereignty of the heavens over the natural world, mirroring the power of a king over his realm and its people.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1600; borders: ca. 1640","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24.9 × 39cm","provenance":"Agra, India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Album","animal","figure","folio","human-figure","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"3ccbbb1a-eca6-5ee7-becd-0a2da22c8309":{"name":"Gushtasp slays the dragon of mount Saqila  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Completed in 1010, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. It inspired countless works of art, including the masterful *Shahnameh* produced for Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76), the second shah of the Safavid dynasty. This folio AKM163 (folio 402 recto) from the Shah Tahmasp *Shahnameh* highlights the exceptional bravery and strength of Gushtasp, son of Shah Luhrasp.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1530–1535","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","Shah-Tahmasp","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"3e51e99d-8ff0-545e-95fc-52a15be8b042":{"name":"*A Coffee House in Tophane*","description":"A Thomas Allom composition which appears in the first volume of Robert Walsh’s book *Constantinople and Scenery of Seven Churches of Asia Minor* is *The Coffee-House*. This is an oil copy of the composition by Civanyan. Written by Robert Walsh, who served as the private priest of British ambassador Lord Strangford after 1820, the book was published in two volumes in London in 1838. It includes engravings and the book, which was later published in French, acted as an important visual resource on Istanbul and its engravings were used as models by numerous artists. In the corresponding text, Robert Walsh provides information on the interior organisation and decoration of the coffeehouse and relates various details ranging from making music and smoking pipes to the plays of the *meddah* (storytellers).","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Late 19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"3ec690bf-62e7-59b6-aaea-842061679b9f":{"name":"Our Epic Tale","description":"Jassim Al Zaini’s Our Epic Tale can be used to discuss regional development, cultural memory, and the construction of modern identity in the Gulf. Although the work emerges from a Qatari context, it also speaks to broader transformations across the region during the oil era, when societies were redefining their future while preserving links to local traditions. The figures’ traditional clothing suggests that development is not presented as something imposed from outside, but as a process rooted in local people, customs, and collective memory. In this sense, the painting can be read as a visual statement, almost a political manifesto, in which modernisation is linked to cultural continuity rather than cultural replacement. The work is also useful for discussing how Gulf modern art participated in shaping narratives of progress, identity, and locally grounded development.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"1973","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 30 cm; width: 90 cm; Depth: 2.5 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/our-epic-tale-mat200712787","keywords":["cultural memory","Gulf region","modern identity","oil","regional development"],"materials":["Oil paint"]},"3ed0bda5-ca9d-536f-b3ed-1c1519674199":{"name":"The rocky lotus: Sumulutun  \nFolio from the manuscript of *Khawass al-Ashjar* (The Characteristics of Trees)","short_description":"Born around 40 AD in Anazarbus in Cilicia (today’s Turkey), Dioscorides exerted a great influence on scholarship and practice from the Middle Ages until the 16th century. His treatise *De Materia Medica* was first translated into Syriac, a language generally familiar to physicians in the Abbasid empire (750–1258).\\[1\\] The earliest Arabic translation directly translated from a Greek copy\\[2\\] was made by two scholars, Istafan ibn Basil and Hunayn ibn Ishaq, in the mid 9th century in Baghdad under the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–61).1 Ibn Ishaq was a physician, Arab scientist, and Nestorian Christian. Known as the “master of translators,” he was active in the Bayt al-Hikm (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad.  \nAccording to sources, in 948, Byzantine Emperor Romanus I offered a Greek copy of *De Materia Medica* as a gift to the Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, ‘Abd al-Rahman III (912-961). There is no evidence to suggest a full Arabic translation of this copy was ever made in Cordoba.\\[3\\] In the intervening years, both the Greek text and accompanying illustrations continued to undergo revision as new copies were made.  \nA famous Arabic copy made in the first quarter of the 13th century was widely recopied and distributed and is now dispersed throughout many private and public collections, including the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Known as the Khawass al-Ashjar, it describes the fabrication of medicines from some 500-600 plants; animals, like fish and shellfish; and minerals that serve as the basis for pharmacology in Near Eastern countries and beyond.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"13th Century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"29.6 x 20cm","provenance":"Iraq","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Notes:  \n\\[1\\] See Saliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 8.  \n\\[2\\] Ibid.  \n\\[3\\] Ibid., 9.  \n  \nBloom, Jonathan, “The introduction of Paper to the Islamic Lands and the development of the illustrated Manuscripts,” *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 17–23. ISBN: 9789004116696.  \nD’Andiran, Gerald, *Early Medicine, from the body to the Stars*, Basel: Schwabe, 2011. ISBN: 9783796527098.  \nGraves, Margaret S. et al. (eds), *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book & Calligraphy*, Istanbul: Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi, 2010: 200–05. ISBN: 9786054348084.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 6–65.","keywords":["folio","plants","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"3fa7c158-f2ad-5e29-985d-61f528ba2a1e":{"name":"*The Rape of Helen*","description":"Paris's kidnap of Helen, the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta, opens Homer's *Iliad*, an epic of the Trojan War. For artists, it provided a frequent source of moral, historical and entertaining scenes from the renaissance onwards.  \nThe drama of the event that led to the destruction of Troy is conveyed in detailed rendering of multiple figures moving through the picture area. Brutal, gory scenes are omitted; the artist presents the event as a theatrical spectacle. The suspense of the scene is enhanced by the presence of the elements: the wind blowing the flags, Helen's vermilion-red attire and pushing the sails of fleeing ships, and the sea. The ancient architecture of the harbour, with Tuscan columns and obelisks, was standard in the repertoire of 18th-century decorative painting. The warrior with erect shield on the left paraphrases Lysippus's “Borghese Warrior”, a staple object of study at art academies. The counterpart picture of *The Rape of Helen* was *The Rape of the Sabines*, a legend associated with the foundation of Rome and, according to Virgil, the continuation of Troy.  \nDetailed narrative cabinet pictures with a host of figures are typical of the oeuvre of this academic Viennese painter who, together with Franz Janneck, specialised in the kind of decorative paintings favoured by art collectors. Inspired by Dutch 17th-century painting and, in particular, by Rudolphine mannerism, Platzer coined an original style, highlighting the sensory qualities of surfaces and things with scattered light and contrasting colours.","short_description":"A detailed narrative cabinet picture, typical of this academic Viennese painter. Inspired by Dutch 17th-century painting, in particular by Rudolphine mannerism, he coined an original style highlighting the sensory qualities of surfaces and things with scattered light and contrasting colours.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1740–1760","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 40.7 cm; w: 59.7 cm","place_of_production":"Austria","method_for_datation":"Marked PG bottom left on the warrior’s shield.","provenance":"Private owner, Brno","obtention":"Acquired around 1940 from a private owner in Brno.","bibliography":"Gothard Agath, Johann Georg Platzer. Ein Geselschaftsmaler Wiener Barocks (1704–1761), *Belvedere* 8, 1929, pp. 79–83.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Wien, 1988, p. 66, cat. 39.  \nUlrich Becker (ed), *Delikatesse der Malerei. Meisterwerke von Johann Georg Platzer*, Graz, 2007, pp. 100–101, cat. 19.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["mythology"],"materials":["Oil on metal"]},"4166b82f-2a5c-5946-adbb-0669c7207263":{"name":"*The Annunciation*","alternate_name":"*La Madonna del Bell’Angelo* (*The Madonna with the Beautiful Angel*)","description":"This altarpiece was originally commissioned for the Fioravanti chapel in the former St. Bartholomew church. It was inaugurated in 1632. In 1647 the Barnabites fathers commissioned the same painter to complete two smaller side paintings with episodes of the life of the Virgin (the *Adoration of the Child* and the *Dream of St. Joseph*) and asked for some retouches to the *Annunciation*. In 1685 the church was inaugurated and the three pictures were moved to the fourth chapel in the right side aisle, where they remain today.  \nThe altarpiece soon became renown as the *Madonna del Bell'Angelo* (the Madonna with the beautiful angel) for the beauty of the announcing angel.  \nAlbani builds the picture by juxtaposing the standing Madonna, nearly indifferent to the annunciation, against the Angel that is bursting from the dark closed room with luminous shades of yellow. Following the angel, a cloud of cherubs and putti rolls from heaven in a chaotic but lively invasion. The picture mixes the naturalistic lesson of the Carraccis with the round lines and the vivacious movement of full Baroque style.","short_description":"This painting was made by Francesco Albani, one of the pupils of the celebrated Carraccis. These three cousins strongly contributed to the Baroque revolution in Bologna and throughout Europe. Albani is a very pleasant painter. He tells the story of the *Annunciation* in a captivating way, showing the Madonna as a princess full of grace and self-control and the heavenly court bursting with enthusiastic life.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of Saint Bartholomew and Gaetano","dates":"1632","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"365 x 295 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Bibliography.","obtention":"The object is still preserved in the original location.","bibliography":"Malvasia, G. C. *Le Pitture di Bologna*, Bologna, 1686, pp. 305-7.  \nTietze, H. “Albani”, *Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler* (eds. U. Thieme and F. Becker), Leipzig, 1907-1950, I, p. 175.  \n*Maestri della pittura del Seicento emiliano* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. H. Voss), Bologna, 1959, pp. 30-33, fig.5.  \nPuglisi, C. *Francesco Albani*, New Haven and London, 1999, p. 155, pp. 183-184.","workshop":"Followers of the Carraccis","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","liturgy","Madonna","religious art","religious orders","Religious/liturgical painting","Theatines"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"41f94376-0122-5f5e-ba32-dbcad66db68a":{"name":"Watercolour by Claude R. Conder","description":"Watercolour by Claude R. Conder, made during the Survey of Western Palestine, showing one of the members of the SWP at work with one of the expedition’s theodolites. The technology they used was the latest cutting edge equipment and techniques available to the Royal Engineers, far in advance on what was being used, for example, by the US Army Corps of Engineers of the day, as was demonstrated when Lieut. Steever, of the Corps of Engineers carried out a similar survey in Transjordan.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","dates":"1870’s","location":"London","provenance":"Levant"},"4250fc43-a459-535b-8747-40e09f5f1a2a":{"name":"Zavara comes to the hunting-ground of Siyavush  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting the hero Rustam’s brother Zavara was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 x 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and ink on paper","Gold","Opaque watercolour"]},"426f9c7c-f4fd-522f-8e04-3a977b7123f1":{"name":"Number 99","type":"Painting","holder":"Cleveland Museum of Art","dates":"1959–1960","location":"Cleveland, Ohio"},"436f4699-37fd-544f-bb71-8f51ac527b09":{"name":"Beatrice elevated by love","short_description":"Alexandre Cingria made this stained glass window, with a counterpart, for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris from April to October 1925.  \n  \nThis leaded stained glass window depicts Love (angel) carrying Beatrice. Love, represented in the foreground with eyes closed, holds Beatrice by her left ankle and her head. The woman, lying down, draped in dark green and red, wears a bracelet on each wrist. On either side, a bluish figure observes the scene. In the centre below the figures there is an inscription engraved in grisaille “Amore/e'l cor gentil/ sono una Cosa”, taken from a sonnet by Dante Alighieri. To the right of the inscription are the artist’s signature and his monogram. The scene is distributed on seven panels (a central rhombus, two lateral triangles and four quadrilaterals) inserted in a metal frame, with supports for stabilisation.","type":"Stained glass","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","owner":"Musée Ariana, City of Geneva","dates":"1924–25","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 138cm, Width: 260cm","method_for_datation":"Ligature monogram (signature) and date (bottom right, painted with grisaille)","method_for_provenance":"According to the signature, the date and the research conducted","obtention":"On loan from the Musée Ariana, City of Geneva, since 1990","bibliography":"David, Véronique, \"D'une guerre à l'autre, les voies de la modernité“, in Michel Hérold and Véronique David (eds), *Vitrail Ve-XXIe siècle*, Paris: Editions du Patrimoine, Centre des monuments nationaux, 2014: 409-456.  \nDavid, Véronique and Finance, Laurence de, *Chagall, Soulages, Benzaken …: vitrail contemporain*, Paris: Liénart éditions, 2015.  \nDebluë, Claire-Lise, *Exposer pour exporter: culture visuelle et expansion commerciale en Suisse (1908-1939)*, Neuchâtel: Editions Alphil-Presses universitaires suissses, 2015.  \nGruber, Jacques, *Le vitrail à l'exposition internationale des arts décoratifs: Paris 1925*, Prague: Moreau, 1925.","workshop":"Kirsch & Fleckner (Fribourg, Switzerland) et Chiara (Lausanne, Switzerland)","catalogue_holding_link":"https://vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2503008","author":"Astrid Kaiser","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["Beatrice","character","drama","fiction","literary character","literature","novel","poetry","woman"],"materials":["black cold glazing on the leadwork","coloured glass mass","convex glass beads (cabochons).","double-glazing etched with acid","grisaille","Laminated glass","multi-coloured glass","Stained glass with leadwork"]},"440083e7-d0c2-582e-be68-2e0366d38ec9":{"name":"*Mythological Scene* (the Forge of Vulcan?)","description":"A painting that was part of a series which was once part of the Royal Palace Collection in Buda. In the inventory the painting is described together with the other pieces as: “school of Rubens, unknown figural composition in richly carved gilt wooden frame”.  \nIt is on the basis of this description, together with the size, that the four pieces have been identified. The paintings, all purchased by members of the Habsburg family over the centuries, were preserved in the Royal Collection but little is known about the method by which the works were selected, or the family’s preferences concerning the artists. It is only a few years ago that the list of works held in the Royal Collection could be investigated and some of the paintings were identified. The works arrived at the Budapest History Museum in poor condition and it is only thanks to exhibitions in recent years that a few of them have been restored.","short_description":"A Baroque mythological scene, part of a series that originally decorated the Royal Palace in Buda.","type":"Painting","holder":"Budapest History Museum","initial_owner":"Hungarian Royal Court","dates":"17th century","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 56 cm; w: 78 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna?","method_for_datation":"Historical data","provenance":"Royal Collection, Royal Castle, Buda","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum in 1945 along with other pieces from the Royal Collection.","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (ed G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, p. 22.","author":"Beatrix Basics","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Buda","mythology","Royal Palace","school of Peter Paul Rubens","Vulcan"],"materials":["Oil on wood panel"]},"44ff5030-1782-52cb-a816-7b58f2d32a22":{"name":"The *Mass of Saint Gregory*","description":"References in Portuguese inventories to the carpets of “Castile” and the “Levant” became progressively more frequent in the first half of the 16th century and coincided with the period when representation of knotted carpets, in the form of Iberian and Turkish carpets, reached its peak in Portuguese painting.  \nThis fact is owed to the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula. Pre-existing contact with Arab culture, as well as the production of knotted carpets, preceded the arrival of oriental counterparts and restricted their demand in the market. Facing an already-established network of Iberian, Turkish and North African manufacturers, carpet manufactories had to respond to the demands of a society well used to the consumption of exotic luxury goods.  \nThe *Mass of Saint Gregory* originally constituted one of the panels from the *predella* of an altarpiece in the church of the Convent of São Francisco. The *predella* comprised 16 paintings depicting scenes from the Eucharist. The painting seen here represents a story made popular in the Golden Legend of the moment when Christ reveals himself on the altar to Pope Gregory; Christ responds to Pope Gregory’s prayer for a sign to convince a deacon, who had earlier confronted him with doubts about the doctrine of transubstantiation. In the painting, St. Gregory kneels before the altar on a carpet of Spanish origin. The carpet’s field is filled with octagonal medallions in which stars and quatrefoils are alternately inserted; the border is filled with a pseudo-*kufic* design interwoven with stylised floral motifs.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","dates":"c. 1508‒1511","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 121.5cm, W: 88cm","method_for_datation":"Technical information provided by José Alberto Seabra de Carvalho","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis and material dating","provenance":"Portugal, unknown location","obtention":"Transferred, from the high altarpiece of the main chapel in the church of São Francisco, Évora, Portugal","bibliography":"Hallett, Jessica and Pereira, Teresa Pacheco, *The Oriental Carpet in Portugal: Carpets and paintings, 15th‒18th centuries*, Lisbon: MNAA, 2007.  \nHallett, Jessica, “Queen Leonor’s Carpets”, in Alexadra Curvelo (ed.), *Casa Perfeitíssima 1509‒2009: Celebrating 500 years of the Foundation of the Convent of Madre de Deus, 1509‒2009*, Lisbon Ministério da Cultura/IMC/Museu Nacional do Azulejo, 2009: 378‒81.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Ana Kol","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["carpet","Francisco Henriques","painting","Portugal","Saint Gregory"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"45320add-79cd-5e4e-a505-b843b89eb3f3":{"name":"*The Green Valley*","description":"Educated at the Beaux-Arts in Cairo, Samir Rafi displays some distance from his academic training. In AH 1366 / AD 1946, he co-founded *Le Groupe d'Art contemporain* (Contemporary Art Group) with Egyptians Al Gazzar and Nada. Leading the modern art movement in Egypt, they rejected storytelling, were inspired by local subjects, and simplified their styles. In this bucolic picture the rise of the Nile fertilises the earth.  \n  \nThrough this symbolic scene Rafi combines a common past with a hopeful present at a time in which British troops were withdrawing from the Suez Canal.","type":"Painting","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 1367 / AD 1947","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 97.8cm; length: 145.8cm (with frame)","obtention":"Purchased.","bibliography":"Bondil, N., Delpont, E;, Chakour, D., Majdoub, El Aissaoui, S., *Modernités arabes. Collection du musée de l'Institut du monde arabe*, Paris: Somadi, 2023: pp. 112-113.  \n  \nDelpont, E., *et al.*, *Le Monde arabe dans le Miroir des Arts. De Gudea à Delacroix, et au-delà*, Tourcoing: IMA, 2016: pp. 42-43.","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Cairo","painting","Samir Rafi","water"],"materials":["Oil painting on canvas"]},"478abce7-afc2-532d-82bd-fbecf067ac32":{"name":"*One Thousand and One Nights*: decorative sketch of the palace gardens. Façade of an","description":"The collection *One Thousand and One Nights* was translated into French in the early 18th century. The rise of Orientalism caused it to become extremely popular, appearing as the subject of numerous editions, adaptations, etc. In the 19th century, a tale from the collection was staged in one of Paris' most famous theatres (the Théâtre du Châtelet), and, as this image shows, the theatre was redecorated as an \"Oriental palace\" for the occasion.","type":"Print","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1881","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"4859e54f-5855-587b-935f-40a00ec2c500":{"name":"The Mother of God Axion Estin","description":"These four icons form a set that depicts the Hymn of Axion Estin, as follows:  \n  \nIt is truly meet and right to bless you, O Theotokos,  \nEver-blessed and most-pure mother of our God.  \nMore honorable than the Cherubim,  \nAnd beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim,  \nWho without corruption gave birth to God the Word,  \nTrue Theotokos, we magnify you.  \n  \nAccording to tradition, this hymn was revealed to an elder monk and his disciple before an icon of the Mother of God in the sanctuary of the main church of Karyes on Mount Athos. During an all-night vigil, they were joined by an unknown monk who called himself Gabriel. As he chanted an unfamiliar hymn, the icon of the Mother of God began to glow. The elder asked Gabriel to write down this hymn, so he inscribed the prayer with his finger on a roof tile “as if it were made of wax”. The tablet was sent to Constantinople, while the image was venerated as miracle-working. The revelation is commemorated on June 11, and the icon is celebrated on July 13.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1600","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 27.5cm, Width: 21cm, Depth: 3cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"From the private collection of Jacques Zolotnitzky. Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2012. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood with silver basma"]},"485d12ca-7825-5990-8b96-58cf495684ae":{"name":"*Drummer*","description":"Sheet from a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc. *Köşcü*, the drummer who played the big drum (*köş*) in the Mehter band.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"48d3809b-e5eb-56eb-9a31-568dd0718ce7":{"name":"*The African*","description":"As a result of the movement of artists and the attention paid along the 19th century to the traditional habits of the Portuguese people, the arts in Portugal became also focused on different cultural pluralism references, as shown in this oil painting by João António Correia.","type":"Painting","holder":"Soares dos Reis National Museum","dates":"1869","location":"Porto","author":"DGPC"},"499f5994-2858-5519-8d58-193c2a6b45ee":{"name":"*Jupiter and Semele*","description":"A diagonal composition of a pair of nudes in dramatic poses, the picture conveys a story from Greek mythology retold by Ovid in the third volume of *Metamorphoses*. Semele, daughter of Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, tricked by jealous Hera who wants to spoil Zeus's (Jupiter's) philandering, gets Jupiter to grant her wish that he should visit her in his true shape. Saddened, Zeus takes on his divine form, summoning clouds, rain, storm and gale, thunderbolts and lightning. Mortal Semele cannot withstand the raging elements and perishes. Her son Bacchus (Dionysus), conceived earlier, survives, as Zeus sews him into his thigh and carries the future god of wine to full term himself.  \nFrom late renaissance onwards, Ovid's texts were recommended to artists as a wellspring of subjects and were published in a number of illustrated editions. Themes derived from mythology frequently decorated studies and whole mansions. The most popular included erotic scenes, particularly Zeus (Jupiter) visiting his lovers in various shapes, transformed into animals, elements or simple mortals.  \nThe painted frame of the picture suggests that the canvas was part of an interior decoration, the location for which is as yet unknown. The colour scheme, based on contrasts between blue and red, illuminated by the scale of light, and the peachy tones used for the anatomically elaborate nudes, also has a decorative nature. In addition, it underlines the psychological effect of the bodies portrayed. The discovery of two preparatory sketches in the collection of the State Science Library, Olomouc, allows speculation as to Moravian provenance for the picture. During the period 1691–95 Pagani worked in Kroměříž, Mikulov and on the Velehrad basilica. He probably left for Cracow with the B. Fontana workshop and returned to Italy via Olomouc.","short_description":"The decorative composition of a pair of nudes in dramatic poses conveys a story from Greek mythology retold by Ovid in the third volume of *Metamorphoses*. The painted frame of the picture suggests that the canvas was part of an interior decoration, the location for which is as yet unknown.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1693?","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 209.7 cm; w: 146.5 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia?","provenance":"Spielmann Collection, Berlin","obtention":"The picture was purchased by the Provincial Committee from the Spielmann Collection, Berlin, in 1931.","bibliography":"Ladislav Daniel*, Benátčané.* *[Malířství 17. a 18. století z českých a moravských sbírek](http://tinweb.moravska-galerie.cz/tw.exe?ST=03&SID=0060F36607&L=00&KOD=04&PZ=10&JAK=V&KDE=016&RET=Ben%A0t%9Fan%82%2E+Mal%A1%FDstv%A1+17%2E+a+18%2E+stolet%A1+z+%9Fesk%ECch+a+moravsk%ECch+sb%A1rek)*, Prague–Milan, 1996, p. 126, cat. 29.  \nZdeněk Kazlepka – Zora Peloušková \\[Wörgötter\\], *Italská kresba a malba 16. – 18. století.* *Pohledy do sbírek Moravské galerie v Brně*, Brno, 1998, p. 24, cat. 32.  \nMilan Togner, *Paolo Pagani. Kresby*, Olomouc 1997, p. 65, cat. 53–55, p. 29.  \nZora Wörgötter, Zápůjčky ze sbírky sbírky gotiky a baroka (1998–2002), *Bulletin Moravské galerie v Brně,* 2003, pp. 176–178.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["erotic imagery","Metamorphosis","mythology","Ovid"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"49ea5362-039b-5261-908a-c40c047fa0bb":{"name":"Turkman Prisoner","short_description":"The Turkoman prisoner is a common subject in Iranian art. The motif was copied and subtly interpreted in both drawings and paintings, which were probably intended for placement in albums. The prisoner depicted here, as in all such representations, is fettered by a *palahang*, a device made from a forked branch, to which one wrist is attached by an additional band of wood or metal. A crossbar at the back of the prisoner’s neck completes the restraint. As is typical, the prisoners’ physiognomy and clothes denote his Turkman ethnicity. He wears a sleeveless outer robe over a long-sleeved tunic, with an elaborately knotted sash; his head is covered by a peaked cap. Characteristically, he carries a sheathed sword, a dagger, a quiver with arrows, a bow and case, a flail, and a whip. Not surprising, given his extensive armaments, he does not seem humbled by his captivity; rather, apart from the introduction of the shackling yoke, such prisoner figures are often nearly indistinguishable from contemporaneous paintings of similarly clothed and armed Uzbek princes or warriors. Based on the Persian poetry by Amir Shahi of Sabzavar (d. 857/1453), which surrounds the painting, it is possible to suggest a less literal meaning for this prisoner imagery. The verses give voice to the torments of unrequited love, a common theme in classical Persian poetry. Claiming to haunt the street of the beloved by night, the lover moans, \"Happy is that prisoner who has someone to come to his rescue,\" which is inscribed, almost like a caption beneath the bent leg of the captive.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira second half of 10th century / AD second half of 16th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"21.5 x 14cm","method_for_datation":"The motif of the Turkman prisoner first appears in Persian painting around the middle of the sixteenth century. The LACMA painting is very similar to one in a Persian-made album in the Topkapi Palace Library, Istanbul, H. 2156, which has margins dated between Hegira 980 / AD 1572 and Hegira 982 /AD 1575. This strong similarity suggests that a tracing was made from the Topkapi version, perhaps datable to the 1560s to early 1570s, which was reversed and used as pounce to produce the LACMA painting.","method_for_provenance":"The motif of the Turkman prisoner is known primarily in Safavid painting; a few instances occur in Mughal India.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Collection of Roland Yazhari, Portland, Oregon, until 2000 (sold to); LACMA, gift of the Ancient Art Council, Iran Trip 2000.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, \"A Turkman Prisoner or Prisoner of Love?\" in Alireza Korangy and Daniel J. Sheffield (eds), *No Tapping around Philology: a Festschrift in Honor of Wheeler McIntosh Thackston Jr.'s 70th Birthday*, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 2014: 379.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Collecting Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: A Curatorial Perspective*, Los Angeles: Art Catalogues; LACMA, 2017: 18-20.  \nRizvi, Kishwar, \"Between the Human and the Divine: The Majālis al-ushshāq and the Materiality of Love in Early Safavid Art,\" in Walter Melion, Michael Zell, and Joanna Woodall (eds), *Ut Pictura Amor: The Reflexive Imagery of Love in Artistic Theory and Practice, 1500-1700,* Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2017: 233.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["gold","ink","inscription","Iran","Manuscirpt","painting","Portrait","Safavid","watercolour"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"4a617bed-3c19-5563-b98a-4cd98cda144d":{"name":"*Scene in the Desert*","alternate_name":"*Escena en el desierto*","description":"This painting was made around 1863 when the author travelled to Morocco with Mariano Fortuny. The reason of his travel was to paint the characters and “picturesque” garments as the way of life of the people from Morocco. His experiences can be seen in his paintings and drawings. During his travels he brought exotic artworks as Egyptian sarcophagi.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanticism","dates":"c. 1863","location":"Madrid","author":"Carolina Miguel Arroyo","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"4bc8852b-4eb9-5ea3-a533-cfbbadd4a2f8":{"name":"*Coronation Of Tsar Dušan*","alternate_name":"*The Proclamation of Tsar Dusan Law*","description":"*The Coronation of Tsar Dušan* was painted on commission from the Kingdom of Serbia for the 1900 Paris Exposition. Jovanović began to prepare for it two years ahead, taking trips and gathering material in Vienna (Habsburg Court Library), Constantinople, Venice, Skopje, Kosovo and Metohija (Gračanica Monastery). Jovanović's consultant in the creation of this piece was the renowned Serbian historian Stojan Novaković. The artist used the *plein air* (outdoor) painting technique fashionable at the time, one of the reasons being the wish of the commissioning party, more specifically King Milan Obrenović, that Jovanović produce a work suitable for crafting a large tapestry. The painting was unveiled at the 1900 Paris Exposition, drawing flattering recognition and praise and winning a gold medal. The artist was somewhat unhappy with the choice of painting technique, and repeated the subject of Tsar Dušan's coronation (or the Proclamation of Dušan's Code, as it was called for a time after World War II) on numerous occasions after the Paris Expo, in various formats, in different ways and for various purposes until late in life. The fact that there are more than ten replicas and variants by the author himself known to date, speaks of how much this work was esteemed and sought after.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1900","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Vienna, Austria","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"4bccb3e9-a964-52ef-937f-7a6d6e11e5cf":{"name":"*Interior of a house in Boussaada*","description":"This painting, showing the interior of a traditional house in the Boussaada region, elicits a certain intimacy, recalling the muted atmosphere also evoked by Guillaumet's *Fileuse*. The nervous, moving brushstrokes and his use of melted or soldered lead are clear references to the style of the Dutch masters.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"c. 1920","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"4bd11f30-7eb1-584b-9175-3069c058941f":{"name":"A pair of still-life paintings: Confectionery and Pottery and Confectionery and Flowers","description":"This is one of two still-life paintings belonging to the Anselmo Braamcamp Freire collection by Josefa d' Óbidos. The influence of the Flemish, Dutch and Andalusian schools, which Josefa d' Óbidos adapted to her Naturalist genre to create her own distinct style, is clearly visible here. The painting reveals an essential simplicity, in which the central details are the confectionary, the pottery and flowers, and it is this very simplicity allied to the artist's delicate technique as well as a wide colour palette, that transform these works into silent and realistic worlds of living objects in all their serenity.  \nIt is worth mentioning the use of a range of whites which in its subtlety adds to the vivid realism of the paintings and heightens the awakening of all five senses that is so redolent of Baroque Art and so characteristic of this artist.  \nAnother approach to these paintings is to regard them as allegories of Christianity and the monastic life. Symbols such as the bread, the silverware and the pots are connected to festive occasions and feasts like the Eucharist. Ceramics are associated with the daily rituals of the town of Óbidos.  \nIt is also possible to establish a connection with the Baroque discourse of the Counter-Reformation in which the gesture and behavioural excesses of human nature stand out, in contrast to the principles and values of purity and simplicity. Valuable objects and luxurious embroideries are represented together with white roses, representing the spirit of patience and red roses, associated with spiritual martyrdom.  \nExploiting her knowledge of symbols and the significance of plants, the artist turns each detail into a symbol of reality and man's moral and spiritual values. Thus, the cherries and roses symbolise happiness, maternal love is suggested by the carnations and eternal life is characterised by the butterfly.","short_description":"Josefa d’ Óbidos' still-life evokes the Counter-Reformation's Baroque ideas in which Man's gesture and behavioural excesses contrast with purity and simplicity. Details like bread, cakes, silver and embroidery symbolise human values in contrast to the flowers, representing spiritual values.","type":"Still-life / *Bodegones*","holder":"Museum and House of Anselmo Braamcamp Freire","owner":"Museu Biblioteca Braamcamp Freire","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"1676","location":"Santarém, Santarém","dimensions":"Confectionery and Pottery: h: 84 cm; w: 160.5 cm  \nConfectionery and Flowers: h: 85 cm; w: 160.5 cm","place_of_production":"Óbidos","method_for_datation":"*Signed and dated:* “+ / Josepha. Em Óbidos. / 1676.”","provenance":"Anselmo Braamcamp Freire collection","obtention":"Anselmo Braamcamp Freire bequeathed his palace, books and art collection to the nation; the palace is now Santarém Public Library and the bequest included the two paintings seen here.","bibliography":"Sequeira, G. M. de, *Inventário Artístico de Portugal*, *Distrito de Santarém*, vol. III, Lisbon, ANBA, 1949, p. 73.   \n Serrão V., (ed), *Josefa de Óbidos e o tempo Barroco*, exhibition catalogue, I.P.P.C., Lisbon, 1991, p. 203.  \n*The Sacred and the Profane: Josefa de Óbidos of Portugal 1630–1684*, National Museum Of Women in The Arts, Washington, 1997.  \n*Rouge et Or,* *Trésors du Portugal Baroque,* exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2002.  \nSerrão, V., *História de Arte em Portugal, o Barroco,* Lisbon, first edition, 2003","workshop":"Josefa de Ayala workshop","author":"Susana Alves","translator":"Ester Ramos","keywords":["bodegones","Counter-Reformation","naturalism","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"4bf6a5a2-2ef7-5efd-930f-e900942ddaa6":{"name":"*La Péri: thirteen costume sketches*","description":"*La Péri* is a fantastical ballet in two acts with the scenario written by Theophile Gautier and the music by Burgmüller. This ballet, first performed in 1843, brought the audience to a grand Egyptian palace. Théophile Gautier dreamt of visiting Egypt, where his friend Gerard de Nerval had been living and sending him details to help him make the ballet more realistic.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1843","provenance":"France","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"4c3f617a-7e2c-59e0-b879-f12b80b2aac8":{"name":"*Allegory of Autumn*","description":"This painting is part of a series representing the *Four Seasons*. It was painted by Pier Francesco Cittadini, a Milanese artist who was a follower of Guido Reni of Bologna. The cycle is described by the eighteenth-century art historian Luigi Crespi in his book *Felsina Pittrice*, printed in 1769. At that time, it was the property of a noble Bolognese family, the Counts Legnani. *Spring* and *Summer* are today housed in the Galleria Estense in Modena; *Winter* and *Autumn* hang together in the same room in the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte in Bologna. Wreaths of fruit and vegetables frame landscapes with mythological scenes connected with the seasons. *Autumn* is symbolised by Bacchus with a vine wreath on his head and a thyrsus in his hand. On the right a drunken Silenus lays down next to a vat. Vine-shoots, pumpkins and pomegranates frame the scene. Cittadini learned this kind of composition, a mixture of still life, mythological scenes and landscape, typical of Flemish painters, during his stay in Rome.","short_description":"This painting is part of a series depicting the *Four Seasons* painted for the Counts Legnani of Bologna. It is the work of Pier Francesco Cittadini, a Milanese painter celebrated for his still lives and portraits. Bacchus, supervising the wine-making process personifies the allegory of Autumn; a wreath of seasonal fruit, following the Flemish tradition, frames the scene.","type":"Painting","holder":"Collezioni Comunali d'Arte","initial_owner":"Count Legnani","dates":"1650–1655","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"137,6 x 189 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The series of the *Four Seasons* is generally connected for stylistic reasons with the garlands of flowers and fruit painted by Cittadini for the Ducal palace in Sassuolo (Gallery of Bacchus), a summer residence of the Este family, where he worked from 1650.","provenance":"Bologna","obtention":"This painting together with its pendant, *Winter*, entered the municipal collections in 1930, through the bequest of Marquis Pier Ignazio Rusconi.","bibliography":"Lorusso De Leo, F. “Pier Francesco Cittadini”, *L'arte degli estensi*(exhibition catalogue) (eds. D. Benati and F. Frisoni), Modena, 1986, p. 202.  \nColombi Ferretti, A. “Pier Francesco Cittadini detto il Milanese”, *Natura morta in Italia* (eds. F. Zeri  and F. Porzio), Milan, 1989,  II, p. 460.  \nMazza, A. in *Collezioni Comunali d'Arte. L'Appartamento del Legato in Palazzo d'Accursio*, Bologna, 1989,  pp. 59-60, figg. 51-52.  \nMazza, A. “La pittura a Bologna nella seconda metà del Seicento”, *La pittura in Emilia e in Romagna. Il Seicento* (ed. A. Emiliani), Milan, 1994, p. 248.  \nBenati, D. “Pier Francesco Cittadini”, *La natura morta in Emilia-Romagna* (eds. D. Benati and L. Peruzzi), Milan, 2000, p. 86.","workshop":"Followers of Guido Reni","author":"Elisabetta Berselli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Allegory","Bacchus","Flemish painters","floral decoration","Four Seasons","grape","Italia","Pendant","Pier Francesco Cittadini","Silenus","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"4d147eaa-e780-5bd5-bc8d-41ec30b458e3":{"name":"*Celebration of the Virgin Mary*","alternate_name":"*Apotheosis of the Virgin Mary*","description":"This *tondo* (circular painting) is the design for a ceiling painting in the Czenstochowa Chapel in the Premonstratensian Abbey of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Brno–Zábrdovice. The composition consists of a host of saints in discussion, arranged in circles that are increasingly illuminated towards the centre of the picture. The artist has enhanced the illusion of space by partially covering the framing balustrade with vast clouds that provide pedestals for female figures, some of which bear Marian symbols. Behind them is another circular layer of cloud, regularly interrupted by smaller groups of figures. The composition culminates in a dove, the Holy Spirit, depicted in an open vista, the central light source of the picture. Etgens placed the dove – slightly shifted away from centre – above God the Father, the most important figure in the painting. St. Luke is represented as an artist with his attributes: a palette and brushes. From the 10th century onwards, the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary was ascribed to St. Luke and linked to a Marian picture of Hodgetiria type on the altar of the Zábrdovice Chapel, executed as one of many replicas of the Madonna of Czenstochowa. The fact that Christ is missing in the ceiling fresco, but appears as a child with Madonna in the altarpiece, is evidence that the decoration of the chapel was approached as an artistic and compositional whole. The dove of the Holy Spirit and God the Father, with a group of angels making up his pedestal in the original sketch, were intended to be connected with a future painting of the Madonna of Czenstochowa, supplemented within the architecture of the altar by Anton Schweigl's sculpted decoration. Comparison between the colour scheme of the circular picture, in cloudy brown and red tones with bright colour accents, and the ceiling painting is not possible due to extensive damage and restoration work carried out on the latter.","short_description":"The *tondo* is a design for a ceiling painting in the Czenstochowa Chapel in the Premonstratensian Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The painting, picking up the threads of the Italian *Seicento*, is one of the last works by the renowned Brno artist, Etgens, who is associated with attempting to establish a public art academy in Brno.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Premonstratensian Abbey, Nová Říše","initial_owner":"Premonstratensian Abbey, Brno-Zábrdovice","dates":"c. 1755","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"Diameter: 71 cm","place_of_production":"Brno","method_for_datation":"The painting is one of the last works by the renowned Brno artist, Etgens, who is said to have studied in Naples under Francesco Solimena. His name is associated with an attempt to establish a public art academy in Brno. That he executed this fresco is mentioned in the sources.","provenance":"Premonstratensian Abbey, Brno-Zábrdovice","obtention":"After the Second World War the picture was held in the Picture Gallery, Brno on long-term loan from the Roman Catholic parish office in Brno–Zábrdovice. In 2001 it passed to the Premonstratensian Abbey, Nová Říše, originally located in Zábrdovice.","bibliography":"*Výběr význačných děl*, Brno, 1946, cat. 114.  \nCecilie Hálová-Jahodová, *Brno**, stavební a umělecký vývoj města*, Prague, 1947, pp. 214, 221, 223.  \nIvo Krsek, Náčrt dějin moravského malířství 18. století, *Sborník prací filozofické fakulty brněnské univerzity* F 13, 1969, p. 84.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Wien, 1988, p. 14, cat. 3.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque 1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 204–205, cat. 70.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Chrisitan themes","Madonna","symbol","Tondo","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"4d43096d-e741-5b21-a636-ccbb17e263cf":{"name":"*Windows*","description":"Wafa al-Hamad’s exploration of doors and windows delves into the intersection of heritage and visual transformation within the Gulf region. These architectural elements, often crafted with precision, symbolise entry and exit-gates to the past, present, and future. Drawing from the historic buildings of Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain, she captures their ornate facades as a means of preserving fading architectural traditions amidst rapid modernization. Her paintings, such as this one, function as portals, inviting viewers into spaces where the past remains alive.  \n  \nRooted in Islamic art, al-Hamad’s work frequently incorporates geometric abstraction and calligraphy, though these elements are not present in this piece. In the 1990s (AH 1410), she has additionally woven Arabic proverbs into her compositions, enriching her art with cultural depth. These proverbs serve as visual metaphors, blending the functionality of objects with poetic symbolism and allowing her to explore concepts within a contemporary framework.  \n  \n\"I have developed a strong interest towards these ancestral doors, in their excellent craftsmanship, a sublime beauty, uniqueness and inspirational representation of faith…My paintings convey such meanings especially door panels which truly express what I believe in. Door panels stand at the crossroad of our ancestral heritage. They pave the way to the realm of Islamic art, its form, decorative accents and inscriptions.\" - Wafa al-Hamad","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1415 / AD 1994","location":"Doha","dimensions":"92cm x 122cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["art","water","watercolour","window"],"materials":["Fibre paper","watercolour"]},"4d95a12b-05ca-5d85-bfaf-474830773927":{"name":"Monkeys taunting a lion","short_description":"This single-page drawing of Monkeys Taunting a Lion is on a folio from a dispersed album. Ruled off in a pale blue frame decorated with golden trees, flowers, birds, and insects and trimmed down to a narrow frame ornamentation, the drawing is outlined in black and has line detail with some light grey shading. The subject of this drawing is not determined by a narrative text. However, it may have been inspired by an animal fable such as *Kalila wa Dimna* (Kalila and Dimna), which has a long tradition in Iran.\\[1\\] The artist was also likely influenced by the influx of Chinese styles, patterns, and motifs in the early 15th century.\\[2\\] The vogue for Chinese drawing and painting may have been the inspiration for this drawing, similar to the wild landscape with the struggling animals and dragon.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"28.2 x 20.3cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"1\\. Welch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982: 55.  \n2\\. Welch, Anthony, *Collection of Islamic Art: Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, vols 1 / 3, Geneva: Château de Bellerive, 1972–78: 95.  \n  \nWelch, Anthony, *Collection of Islamic Art: Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, vols 1 / 3, Geneva: Château de Bellerive, 1972–78.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.","keywords":["animals","chinese","drawing","fable","flowers","folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink on paper"]},"4dac9cf9-671a-53db-afe9-db1a23d3b6cf":{"name":"Preparation of Medicine. Folio from Manuscript of an Arabic Translation of 'De Materia Medica' of Dioscorides","short_description":"This is a single leaf from a manuscript copied in AH 621 / AD 1224 in Baghdad by Abdallah ibn al-Fadl, a well-known calligrapher, for a long time believed to be the author of the miniatures. \"De Materia Medica\" a treatise by Dioscorides, a Greek doctor, was very popular in the Middle Ages. The Khanenko Museum keeps a folio that depicts a process of medicine-making. Extremely trustworthy and artistically convincing is the manner used by the medieval artist in rendering ethnic features of personages, their gestures, clothing and various details of everyday life.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AH 621 / AD 1224","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33cm, Width: 23.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (1926, origin), publication of H. Buchthal (1942, accurate date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection, publication of Hugo Buchthal (1942): former Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","provenance":"Baghdad, Iraq","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Bilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, 5 (1942).  \nContadini, Anna (ed), *Arab Painting: Text and Image in Illustrated Arabic Manuscripts, Handbook of Oriental Studies*, London: Brill, 2010.  \nDiscordides Pedanius, *De Materia Medica: Being an Herbal with many other medicinal materials*, (Written in Greek in AD 1st century. New indexed version in modern English translated and edited by Tess Anne Osbaldeston and Robert P. A. Wood), Johannesburg: Ibidis, 2000: 939.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Abbasid","Dioscorides","Iraq","manuscript","medicine","miniature"],"materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"4dbcd917-010c-5ebd-8b39-646ec4f29059":{"name":"\"Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram' s Music\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1556–1605) personal copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It shows the king Bahram Gur with his beautiful slave girl, Dilaram, who could make animals sleep or awaken with the sound of her music.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.5cm, width: 15.1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 12 (October 1953).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Indian Miniatures.*, New York-Milan, 1959.  \n  \nUniversity Gallery, University of Florida. \"April 10th thru May 29th, 1966.\" In *Miniatures and Small Sculptures from India.*, (1966).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nGlynn, C.. \"An Early Mughal Landscape Painting and Realted Works.\" in *Los Angeles County Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 20, no. 2 (1974).  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nPal, P., ed., *Master Artists of the Imperial Mughal Court.*, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1991.  \n  \nKossak, S. M., ed., *Indian Court Painting 16th–19th century.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446562","materials":["and gold on paper","Main support: ink","Margins: gold on dyed paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"4de3eb32-b57d-5953-83b6-9b88acb3de21":{"name":"*St. Francis Xavier*","alternate_name":"*St. Francis Xavier Baptizing Natives*","description":"Following liberation from Turkish occupation, the Jesuits were among the first to occupy the prominent towns of northeast Croatia. They arrived in Požega, a town at the very heart of the so-called *Valis Aurea*, the Golden Valley surrounded by mountains, in the middle of the Slavonian plain.  \nThis painting of St. Francis Xavier was probably among the first artworks installed to decorate the Jesuit College in Požega, built and equipped soon after the Jesuit's arrival in 1698. The pendant to this painting presents the Immaculate Conception in a very specific way, with the Madonna sitting on a throne and the Child standing on a serpent's head next to her.  \n*St. Francis Xavier* shows the saint baptising the local inhabitants on one of his missions to the East. The composition is common in works with a similar theme, for example, in the small-size oil painting, the *Baptism of Queen Neachila of India* by the same artist. This work, a kind of study or *bozzetto*, is in Düsseldorf Museum, while a painting of the same subject on a larger scale is in the Kiscelli Museum, Budapest.  \nIn the Požega painting, the figure of the saint is notable for its monumental gesture: the almost three-quarter length, front-facing figure of the saint pouring holy water from the small bucket onto the heads of the three figures gathered around the baptismal font. The stunning texture of the paint reveals the author's dynamic gestural brushstrokes. The somewhat cold and distant colours are surprising in a scene supposedly taking place in Asia and Africa, where warmer and more saturated colours are expected. Nevertheless, the specific chromatic values seen here are frequent in Pozzo's paintings, as are the dynamic brushstrokes.","short_description":"*St. Francis Xavier* is one of a few easel paintings by the Baroque painter, architect and art theoretician Andrea Pozzo. Brought to Požega by the Jesuits soon after 1698 after liberation from the Ottomans, the stunning detail reveals the author's eloquent gestural brushstrokes.","type":"Painting","holder":"Diocese Museum of the Požega Diocese","owner":"The Požega Diocese","initial_owner":"The Jesuit College in Požega","dates":"c. 1700","location":"Požega, Slavonia","dimensions":"H: 138 cm; w: 103 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"The date and the origin of this painting were established partly by the *Historia domus* of the Jesuit College in Požega and through comparative analysis of other known works by the same author.","provenance":"The Jesuit College in Požega","obtention":"Originally owned by the Jesuits of Požega, Joseph II confiscated this painting along with the entire Jesuit inventory when he banned the order. Some of the paintings became part of the Diocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese. Shortly after the Požega Diocese was established, the painting was returned to Požega.","bibliography":"Repanic-Braun, M., Slikarstvo u razdoblju baroka i u 19. stoljecu”, *Kulturna baština Požege i Požeštine* (ed. N. Čerti), Zagreb, 2004, pp. 233–235.  \nSzilárdfy, Z., “Pozzo, Andrea. Saint Frances Xavier, 1701”, *Barokk Művészet közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások (*Baroque Art in Central Europe: Crossroads), (ed. M. Mojzer), Budapest, 1993, p. 324.","workshop":"Palma il Giovane, Andrea Sacchi","author":"Mirjana Repanić-Braun","translator":"Mirjana Repanić-Braun","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Andrea Pozzo","Counter-Reformation","Jesuit","native","Ottoman","Požega","religious mission"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"4e27b872-ecb5-5764-8ab4-12316b90ca21":{"name":"*Marketplace, Morocco*","description":"This imposing oil painting shows a caravan apparently leaving the gate of a North African city, perhaps Fez, with much commotion going on on either side of the camels and their guides. Although the title of the painting suggest a market scene, in reality little trading activity can be seen apart from an old hooded man sitting next to a large basket with shoes on the right. On the left a group of African men and a little child in a burnous admire the skills of a snake charmer, while his monkey next to him looks on intently. In the background, large numbers of men, apparently both of Arab and Berber origin, and dressed in a variety of traditional dress, walk along or stand together in groups conversing, oblivious to the camels, donkeys and horses moving inbetween them. Ferenc Eisenhut was an Austro-Hungarian painter, known for his monumentally conceived genre scenes of Eastern life and vistas. He was the only internationally acclaimed, Hungarian Orientalist painter.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"1888","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"4e299372-2148-578c-ac70-4b781a5ad8ce":{"name":"*The First Train in Spain: Inaugurated 28 October 1848*","alternate_name":"*Primer ferrocarril de España, inaugurado en el 28 de Octubre de 1848*","description":"The railway connecting Barcelona and Mataró was the first one to be inaugurated in Spain. This train connected two important industrial hubs of Catalonia, as an example of the industrial development of this area in the middle of the 19th century.","type":"Print; Painting","holder":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","dates":"1848","location":"Madrid","author":"Ana Cabrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"4efddfdd-e8a3-5895-9f9c-d7247e51a06f":{"name":"Portrait of an unknown scholar","short_description":"This portrait depicts a calligrapher or scholar, wearing a white turban and with a red beard dyed with henna. Crouched in the corner of a simple room, lost in thought, he holds the mouthpiece of his water pipe. To his left, on top of a chest, a few personal objects include a pair of spectacles, a silver pocket watch, pencil cases, a book and a small glass vase with a bunch-flowered narcissus (*Narcissus tazetta*).  \n  \nWe know almost nothing about the painter, Mirza Aqa, mentioned in the poem accompanying this portrait. The qualities of this work are due in particular to the pictorial technique used by the painter. The faithful, almost rough rendering of the face gives the figure a strong, penetrating presence. The play of perspective, light and shadow, and the realism shown by the painter can be found in other contemporary Qajar painters.","type":"Portrait","holder":"Museum Rietberg","dates":"Hegira 1280 / AD 1863/64","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 24cm, Width: 15.5cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works.","method_for_provenance":"By comparison with stylistically similar works.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Acquisition","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, “Portrait d’un érudit, ” in Gwenaëlle Fellinger (ed), *L’Empire des roses. Chefs-d’oeuvres de l’art persan du XIXe siècle*, exh. cat., Ghent and Lens: Éditions Snoeck and Louvre Lens, 2018: 244-245.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"4f180fa5-704f-5c7d-ae79-fb6f43f46920":{"name":"Reverse glass painting: *Vulcan surprises Venus*","description":"The reverse glass painting by the Zurich artist Hans Conrad Gyger depicts the dramatic moment when Vulcan, the god of fire, steps into the sleeping chamber and catches his wife Venus in the amorous embrace of Mars. From the clouds above the Olympian gods witness the divine adultery. The theme’s composition – otherwise rarely depicted in Swiss reverse glass painting – traces back to the Zurich artist Gotthard Ringgli who gave Gyger two sketches with detailed studies of the two lovers. Ringgli, in turn, was relying on a Dutch drawing as his template. Possibly the precious work was created as a wedding present, with the intention of reminding the future couple of conjugal fidelity. Who commissioned the work is not known. The signature of Hans Conrad Gyger on the dark chest in the foreground was only discovered in 1997 in the context of restoration work. Until then Gyger had been famous above all for his cartographic work and, according to Joachim Sandrat, for a special procedure he developed for decorating glass objects with oil paints. Using this technique he decorated pictures, drinking vessels and mirrors, gaining popularity well beyond Zurich, as far as Paris, Florence and Venice.","type":"Reverse glass painting","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Swiss Confederation","dates":"1631","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 42,4cm, W: 33,3cm","method_for_datation":"In 1997, during restauration, the Signature of Hans Conrad Gyger was discovered. The Date is also inscribed on the painting.","provenance":"Zurich","obtention":"The painting was part of the private collection of Heinrich Angst, the first Director of the Landesmuseum and was later (1907) bought by the Landesmuseum.","keywords":["adultery","Hans Conrad Gyger","Mars","painting","reverse glass painting","Roman mythology","Venus","Vulcan"],"materials":["glass","reverse painted","tin foil","verre églomisé"]},"4f6d8c3a-63e3-50c0-b243-faaa3ddd2001":{"name":"*The Expulsion of the Duke of Athens*","alternate_name":"*La Cacciata del duca di Atene*","description":"The painting is a second version by the artist of his masterpiece *La cacciata del Duca di Atene* started by Ussi in 1854 in Rome and finished in Florence, now at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Florence. The artwork was presented at the National Exhibition in Florence in 1861 and sent at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1867 where it was awarded the silver medal. The scene depicted in the painting refers to the book *Istorie Fiorentine* by Nicolò Machiavelli. In particular the painter shows the moment in which Gualtieri di Brienne, Duke of Athens between 1342-43, abdicates from Florence. To his left are the republicans who force him to sign. The second version is slightly different from the original one in characters and manner. The painting shows the city of Florence, represented by the republicans, defending its freedom from a cruel ruler and embodies a strong political, civic and moral relevance, emphasised by the sheer size of the canvas.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1860","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"50900128-bb54-580c-9129-d9d24be9c5ef":{"name":"Ten folios from the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi made for Shah Tahmasp I","short_description":"The ten folios come the *Shahnamah* made for the Safavid ruler, Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576). One of the finest illustrated Persian manuscript ever made, it has been referred to as the ‘Houghton’ *Shahnamah* after the collector who broke it up in New York in the 1970s. It is of large format, on fine gold-sprinkled paper, and with 258 illustrations. The format is independently conceived for each painting and must have involved constant consultation between scribes, painters and marginators. Folio 516, which in the Khalili Collection, is the only folio in the manuscript to bear a date.  \nThe manuscript was given by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman Sultan Selim II at the time of the latter’s accession in 1566. By 1903, the manuscript was in the possession of Edmond de Rothschild. It changed hands once again in the 1960s, when its then owner, Arthur Houghton Jr, began to disperse it. Today, some 140 of its paintings are in museums and collections throughout the world. The rest of the manuscript – the binding, the text block and 118 paintings – have been in the Contemporary Art Museum in Tehran since 1994.","type":"Manuscript; miniature painting; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Manuscript: 1520s – 1540s; folio 516b: dated Hejira 934 / AD 1527–8","location":"London","dimensions":"Folio: 47 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on information within the paintings themselves, on historical records and on numerous detailed studies by a number of academics and authors.","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Folio 119 only: ex-Edmond de Rothschild; Arthur Houghton Jr, Diane Woodner and Andrea Woodner; Christie’s, London, sale of 27 April 1993, lot 71.  \nRemaining 9 folios: ex-Edmond de Rothschild, Arthur Houghton Jr and Khosrovani Collections.","bibliography":"Canby, S.R., *The Shahnamah pf Shah Tahmasp. The Persian Book of Kings*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \nDickson, M.B., and Welch, S.C., *The Houghton Shahnameh* (2 vols), Cambridge, MA, and London: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \nFalk, T. (ed.), *The Treasures of Islam*, exhibition catalogue, Geneva: Musée Rath, 1985: 68–71, n. 42–4, 46, 49, 50, 53, 57 and 61.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: n. 299–308, pp.262–69.","keywords":["gold","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Paper","Safavid","Shahnamah","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","headings are in riqa‘","Ink","margins heavily sprinkled with gold","text copied in a superior nasta‘liq"]},"52a99ada-0675-50d5-a178-836792f337d3":{"name":"*The Virgin at the Nile*","alternate_name":"*La vergine al Nilo*","description":"Federico Faruffini made his debut as a painter at the 1856 annual exposition of Brera. In his works the artist breaks away from the academic rule of ‘disegno’, or artistic drawing, and focuses on colour. The painting *The Virgin at the Nile* shows a sacrifice. Numerous study sketches survive. They attest that the artist was well educated on customs, traditions and architecture of ancient Egypt. In the painting the artist proposes the integration of two separate themes through different rendering styles: on the brighter upper part he sets the historic characters and in the lower zone the more narrative one, of obvious academic inspiration. The painting was brought to Paris by the artist after he decided to leave Italy because he was having difficulty finding work. After the artist committed suicide, *The Virgin at the Nile* was on display at the retrospective exhibition in Rome in 1883 where Faruffini’s entire portfolio was reconsidered, and the painting was declared his undiscussed masterpiece.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1865","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"52e50179-8187-524b-bf97-e2dc4d14855d":{"name":"'Saz'-style drawing of a dragon amid foliage","short_description":"The mid‑sixteenth century saw the flourishing of the so‑called *saz* style—characterized by the depiction of stylised, serrated leaf foliage, often paired with fantastic creatures including dragons and phoenixes. This imagery appears on Ottoman art in a variety of media, including textiles. This magnificent dragon drawing is ascribed to the master of the style, Shah Quli, an artist who emigrated from Iran to Istanbul and became head of the royal atelier under Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 946–57 / AD c. 1540–50","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: H: 17.3cm, W: 27.2cm; Mat: H: 40.6cm, W: 55.9cm; Frame: H: 43.2cm, W: 58.4cm","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nArtist: Shah Quli, Turkish, born Tabriz, Iran, active ca. mid-16th century  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (by 1940–d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art. The Iranian Institute, New York*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: 206, no. Gallery VII; case 99D.  \nBernus-Taylor, Marthe, *L'Etrange et le Merveilleux en Terres d'Islam. Musée du Louvre 23 avril–23 juillet 2001*, Paris: Musée du Louvre, 2001: 92–93, 115, no. 81, ill.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 287, 290–92, no. 202, ill. 291 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 33/1 (Spring 1975): 42–43 (b/w).  \nGrube, Ernst J., *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century. From Collections in the United States and Canada*, Venice: N. Pozza, 1962: no. 78, 99–100, ill. pl. 78 (b/w).  \nGrube, Ernst J., *Studies in Islamic Painting*, London: Pindar Press, 1995: 325, ill. fig. 21 (b/w).  \nMeredith-Owens, G, *Turkish Miniatures*, London: British Museum, 1969: 19. Says a dragon in combat with a phoenix in the MMA may be a work of the Persian Sahkulu but it is by no means certain.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, \"Two drawings, a tile, a dish, and a pair of scissors,\" in Richard Ettinghausen (ed), *Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972: 292, ill. fig. 2 (b/w).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Anatolia","calligrapher","calligraphy","Chinese influence","Chinese motifs","dragon","gold","ink","Istanbul","nasta'liq","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","Paper","saz leaf","Saz style","Turkey"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"54a75fca-9a38-5dc2-9f8e-80faf09f8470":{"name":"*The Artist Girl and Her Studio*","description":"The basis of Turkish painting drawing influence from western tradition was laid when *Mühendishane-i Berr-i Hümayun* (the Naval Academy) opened in 1795. Halil Pasha, who had been a student of the painting courses held at the Academy, was foremost among the painters with a military background who founded a western style art tradition in Turkey. He worked with Jean Leon Gerome in his atelier in Paris. He provided a unique distinction to the analysis of impressionist light and colour, and was an example of artists dealing with impressionist technique. Because of his qualified knowledge about anatomy and his interest in depicting the human figure, Halil Pasha had a unique place in Turkish Art History.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"555612b1-3b0e-5939-af4c-dcd61c208ab2":{"name":"*Reading The Qu'ran*","description":"Osman Hamdi focused on dilemmas such as East and West, love and hate, life and death. While stylistically reminiscent of western Orientalist painters, his works reflect a more nuanced appreciation of Ottoman society and culture. He also gave importance to details while reflecting the colourful scenes of Turkish culture, traditional architecture, Ottoman fashion and domestic and social life of the women in the Ottoman Empire. And it’s obvious that he is the first painter who used human figures in the western style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"5599db05-ed21-5635-bc98-8d9bcd6907e1":{"name":"Album page  \nFront, Emperor Jahangir at the *jharoka* window  \nBack, calligraphy","short_description":"This double-sided page, intended for an album, is likely the product of two masters: Abu‘l-Hasan, one of the most famous artists of the Mughal court, and Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmiri, honoured by the emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) with the title of 'Zarin Qalam' (Golden Pen). \\[1\\] The painting depicts Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–27) in a balcony window (called a *jharoka*) and looking down to Agra Fort. His top-ranking officials stand on the marble terrace just below him. Beneath the terrace, lower-ranking officials and the public gather in a courtyard. Near the red canopy at the left is suspended a golden chain with golden bells.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 16th – early 17th centuries","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"56 x 35.2cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] See Welch, Anthony, and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982: 212.  \n  \nWelch, Anthony, and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801415487.","keywords":["Album","figure","folio","human-figure","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"5647174a-d70c-5acf-8ebd-27ca4e8179a6":{"name":"*St. Barbara*","description":"This half-figure of a woman holding a palm frond suggests a Christian martyr; the chalice, communion wafer, sword and tower in the background help identify her as St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners, artillerymen, gunsmiths and all who work with explosives. Legend has it that her father, a pagan nobleman, had a tower erected to imprison his daughter and discourage prospective suitors. The tower had only two windows. In her father’s absence, Barbara persuaded workers to add a third window. She also had a priest visit in secret and baptise her. When her father returned, Barbara explained that the three windows symbolised the Holy Trinity illuminating her soul. The father turned her over to the Roman authorities. When Barbara refused to abandon her faith, she was tortured and finally decapitated.  \nThe monochrome colour scheme, light contrasts and the artist’s original handwriting hint at inspiration by Dutch and Flemish 17th-century painting. The smoothly arched face contrasts with the relaxed rendering of the drapery. The portrait features of the saint suggest an interest in individual psychology, and embody a crypto-portrait of the artist’s wife.  \nWillmann was probably apprenticed to his father’s workshop before leaving for the Netherlands. It has been maintained that he was a direct student of Rembrandt; he certainly came into contact with Rembrandt’s art and was allegedly in touch with Jacob de Backer, a student of Rembrandt, as well as with a circle of landscape artists around Jacob van Ruisdael. In Antwerp, he became acquainted with the work of Rubens and Van Dyck. The painter later moved to Breslau where his work attracted the interest of the Cistercian abbot of the Lubiaz monastery. The artist joined his service and settled in Lubiaz for good, painting for the abbey and other monasteries in Bohemia and Moravia. His stay was only broken by a trip to the Elector’s court in Berlin, where he was appointed court painter.","short_description":"The monochrome colour scheme, light contrasts and the artist’s handwriting hint at inspiration by Dutch and Flemish 17th-century painting. The smoothly arched face contrasts with the relaxed rendering of the drapery. The portrait features of the saint embody a crypto-portrait of the artist’s wife.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"c. 1680","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 120.5 cm; w: 104.4 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia","method_for_datation":"The painting is a traditional ascription confirmed by style analysis, particularly in comparison with a cycle of saints from Rajhrad, near Brno.","provenance":"Collection of Baron Astfeld","obtention":"The picture was acquired for the collections in 1938, through a purchase from private property in Bratislava. The name B. Astfeld on the reverse reveals further provenance: he was son of Baron J. Astfeld, who loaned the picture to the Society of Patriotic Friends of the Arts, Prague in 1797.","bibliography":"Michal Šroněk, Barokní malířství 17. století v Čechách, in *Dějiny českého výtvarného umění* II/1, Prague, 1989, p. 348.  \nAntonín Jirka, *Středoevropské malířství 1600–1730 z moravských sbírek*, Zlín, 1993, p. 38, cat. 69.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Attribute","Christian themes","Cistercians","crypto-portrait"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"56d6cbbe-5568-5bd2-85e4-4918e6039102":{"name":"Youth in a Fur Trimmed Cap","short_description":"In sixteenth-century Iran, single-page paintings became popular. These were cheaper to produce and hence cheaper to purchase than were manuscripts containing many illustrations. Most common were images of aristocratic youths, standing alone, carefully executed and fully coloured, such as this example from about 1600, which is the work of Riza Abbasi, who has signed the painting at the lower left. The plump young man clutches a bottle, probably a wine-flask. His fur hat is exquisitely rendered and he sports a magnificent pair of patterned trousers.","type":"Single-page painting","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1008 / AD 1600","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"19.1 x 8.8 cm","provenance":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_260_2/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["painting"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"572d0642-eeed-51ff-b840-e50c47614c23":{"name":"Reverse painting on glass: The Arab hero Abdallah Ibn Jaafar and the Christian princess Yamina","short_description":"As Tunisia fell under French rule in 1881, reverse paintings on glass were fashionable in Tunis and Sfax. The story of Abdallah and Princess Yamina was beloved. In 647, the first onslaught of Muslim Arabs reached the Byzantine province of Africa. Near today's city of Sbeïtla, they scored a decisive victory over the Eastern Roman commander-in-chief Gregorius. The event embedded itself deeply in the collective consciousness of the population, and at the time of the French Protectorate it was again unearthed. An image shows the Arab hero Abdallah ibn Jaafar and the Christian Princess Yamina fleeing on horseback. The pair miraculously saved themselves from the Eastern Roman pursuers. Abdallah kidnapped an infidel, conquered the enemy and wounded his dignity. Around 1900, this pictorial image was commonly displayed between Tunis and Algiers as a visual protest against the French colonial powers.","type":"Painting","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"Ca. 1900","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"H: 33cm, W: 38.3cm, Diameter: 1.5cm","method_for_datation":"Entry in the general inventory and archival documents.","method_for_provenance":"Entry in the general inventory book.","provenance":"Tunisia","obtention":"Catalog entry: \"Purchased from Dr. R. [Rosina] Priegl (sic!) [correct: Prigl], Vienna, 1939.\"","bibliography":"Steinmann, Axel, \"Heroic Stories\", in Christian Schicklgruber (ed), *Weltmuseum Wien, exhibition catalogue*, Vienna: Weltmuseum Wien, 2017: 110-113.","materials":["Glas","pigment","Wood"]},"5742022d-5251-5bf2-9309-1b5f081234cd":{"name":"*A Costume from Capri*","description":"Until the 19th century, Portuguese painting focussed on landscape and local habits. The new interest for travelling and for other cultures can be seen in this oil painting by Silva Porto portraying a girl from the Island of Capri and her costume.","type":"Painting","holder":"Soares dos Reis National Museum","dates":"1871","location":"Porto","author":"DGPC"},"574d6f3c-2cbb-5d5b-9f00-e0dd275b71a9":{"name":"*Excavation of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel*","description":"An intrepid and versatile Frenchman, Linant came to Egypt in 1818. In Cairo he adopted the life of an Ottoman Turk, but was known and consulted by European residents and visitors as well as by the Pasha of Egypt, Muhammad Ali. At various times his talents were employed as a geographer, explorer, engineer, cartographer and draughtsman.  \nHis first adventure was an expedition to Upper Egypt that Henry Salt, British Consul-General in Egypt , took to Abu Simbel in 1818-19. Although there were other artists in the party it is likely that this watercolour is by Linant and that it depicts Salt's attempts to clear away the ever encroaching sand from the facade of the Great Temple. Linant took part in several subsequent expeditions up the Nile, and was one of the first Europeans to reach the Pharaonic sites of Meroe and Musawarat.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1818–19","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"577527f6-207f-54b6-8eee-af77d7cc4100":{"name":"Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.6 × 24.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan, Gilan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","peom","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"57d9ec8b-2100-527f-abb2-8188927bef19":{"name":"*The Gate of a Mosque, Istanbul*","description":"This oil painting shows the entrance gate to an Ottoman mosque or mausoleum complex, set in a lush shaded garden with majestic trees, its tall pointed minaret soaring high above the tiled awnings of the surrounding wall. Two turbaned old men, one seated on the pavement at the gate, the other standing to face him, accentuate the scene on the street outside. The painter of this somewhat melancholy scene, Halil Bey, was trained under Gerome and Courtoix. Under the influence of European artists and encouraged by the tastes of the Ottoman court, the arts underwent a great deal of transformation in the 13th/ 19th century. Painting in western styles gained increasing acceptance, and several local artists now concentrated on depicting their surroundings in a manner and style which they had learned in painting and drawing classes given by European instructors, either in Ottoman cities, or - as in the case of Halil Bey - in the prominent European centres of art.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira late 13th – early 14th century / AD late 19th – early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"58119adb-f72f-58c9-af23-ed78c51ccea1":{"name":"*Sita Shies Away from Hanuman, Believing He is Ravana in Disguise*","short_description":"The Great Mughal Akbar was known for his religious tolerance, and he did what he could to give his fellow Muslims insight into Hindu culture. He had holy Hindu scriptures translated into Persian, and he presented the magnificent copy of the *Ramayana* from which this miniature comes to his mother in 1594.","type":"Miniature from a copy of the *Ramayana*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1002 / AD 1594","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"India, Mughal","keywords":["miniature","Mughal","painting","Ramayana"]},"58fe74cf-18fc-5029-b7a5-11247965159d":{"name":"*The Torchlight Parade through the Stambol Gate*","description":"*The Torchlight Parade through the Stambol Gate* presents a historical moment that occurred in Belgrade in December 1858. The citizens who were supporters of the Serbian sovereign dynasty Obrenović, celebrated the return of the dynasty's founder, Prince Milos.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1859","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Belgrade, Serbia","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"5936c4f1-e821-5646-a430-d424ed9b426e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Landhaur, the son of the king of Ceylon, is abducted in his sleep by a demon","short_description":"Landhaur (King of the Sun), is one of the legendary rulers of distant lands in the history of Hamza. First opponent, he converted to Islam and becomes a courageous comrade of Hamza. The episode shown here is not handed over textually.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200232","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel","keywords":["Hamzanama","Landhaur","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"5a5065ff-617c-5f77-81aa-546635c333e8":{"name":"*Saint Charles Borromeo Administers the Sacrament to the Plague-Infected*","description":"This excellent oil sketch (*bozzetto*) is linked to one of Caspar Franz Sambach's early works, the interior decoration of the parish church in Sloup, Moravia, a grand ensemble of magnificent frescoes and altarpieces, which were completed between 1751 and 1754. The Esztergom *bozzetto*, and a slightly larger and more complete version in Breslau (Wrocław; the Narodowe Museum), were produced for the side altarpiece dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo. The composition follows Pierre Mignard's painting for the high altar of the Church of San Carlo ai Catinari in Rome, probably by way of an intermediary engraving.  \nCharles Borromeo, the archbishop of Milan at the time of the great plague of 1576, fought heroically against the epidemic; following his canonisation in 1612, he was accorded reverence similar to that of the medieval plague saints. His cult outside Milan strengthened in Rome at first, and then, through Borromeo family connections in Salzburg, it grew further during the reign of Charles VI spreading throughout the Habsburg Empire.  \nBorn in Breslau (Wrocław), according to local studies, Sambach worked in Vienna from 1740 in the workshop of the sculptor Georg Raphael Donner. He trained as a historical painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, becoming a member in 1759, a professor in 1762 and director in 1773. His fresco and altarpiece paintings were influenced by other Central European painters, the likes of Paul Troger, Michelangelo Unterberger and the younger Franz Anton Maulbertsch. Sambach was a skilful ornamental artist and painted his own architecture; producing the figure inserts that imitate reliefs on his frescoes, as well as on his canvases depicting *putti,* making use of the methods learned from the works of the Austrian, sculptor Georg Raphael Donner. In Hungary, the high altar and ceiling frescoes, together with the altarpieces of the Jesuit church in Székesfehérvár (1749–50), preserve his early, relaxed style. The Esztergom colour sketch, a loose and vivid composition that shows only the lower part of the altarpiece, can be considered as an autograph version (*ricordo*) made by the master.","short_description":"The Silesian, Caspar Franz Sambach, also worked in Hungary (Székesfehérvár, Buda and Nagykanizsa). One of his most important works is the interior decoration in the parish church in Sloup, Moravia, including the altarpiece commemorating Charles Borromeo. Two oil sketches of Charles Borromeo's altarpiece are extant; the one seen here is considered to be an autograph version (*ricordo*) of the Breslau (Wrocław) study.","type":"Painting (oil sketch; *bozzetto*)","holder":"Christian Museum of Esztergom","initial_owner":"Primatial Collection, Esztergom","dates":"1752–53","location":"Esztergom, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H:  25 cm; w: 30 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"By analogy","provenance":"Purchased by Primate János Simor for his Primatial art collection","obtention":"From the Collection of Primate János Simor","bibliography":"*Christian Museum Esztergom* (ed P. Cséfalvay), Budapest, 1993, pp. 50, 195.  \n*Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993, pp. 338–39.","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Anna Nilsen","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bozzetto","Breslau","Central-European influence","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","Disease","Esztergom","Jesuit","Sloup","Wrocław"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"5a8a244d-67e0-5d59-8dde-4569de053291":{"name":"*General Junot Protecting the City of Lisbon*","description":"In the context of the French invasions of Portugal Domingos Sequeira established friendships with the officers of the Napoleonic army at an early stage, as was the case with Count Forbin, an officer and amateur painter. Due to these contacts Sequeira was commissioned to produce an allegorical painting to celebrate the role of General Junot in protecting the city of Lisbon. Sequeira's action was perceived as an acceptance of the ideals of the occupying enemy and he was persecuted and his work condemned. Later on, after the defeat of the French, it was difficult for Sequeira to exonerate himself, something that has still only partially been achieved.  \nThree groups in the open-air on the top of a hill populate the foreground. Standing in the main central group is General Junot who wears military uniform and is turned towards a young woman who represents Lisbon; she is supported by Religion and Genius of the Nation. To the left in the mid-ground are two men; with only their bare torsos visible they represent Mars annihilating Neptune, and symbolise France and England respectively. On the opposite side, two female figures suspended mid-air move towards the central group; they represent Ceres and Minerva and are symbols of Abundance and Wisdom. Above them an eagle hovers, its huge wings outspread. The landscape is a great plain that stretches out until it reaches the sea. At mid-distance, a large army with knights on horseback advance in formation. In the background a fleet is anchored near the beach. The sky, heavy with clouds, creates a gloom that covers the greater part of the painting. The sky opens out, however, to clearer and more luminous tonality towards the horizon over the sea.","short_description":"The French General, Junot, offers protection to the city of Lisbon, supported by the personifications of Religion and Genius of the Nation. The central composition is flanked by Mars and Neptune (representing France and England) and on the opposite side, Ceres and Minerva under a huge figure of an eagle.","type":"Allegorical painting","holder":"Soares dos Reis National Museum","owner":"Câmara Municipal do Porto","initial_owner":"João Allen Collection, Porto, acquired in 1827 from the painter himself.","dates":"c. 1808","location":"Porto, Porto","dimensions":"H: 73.5 cm; w: 100 cm","place_of_production":"Lisbon","method_for_datation":"Historical evidence","provenance":"Acquisition from João Allen; Câmara Municipal do Porto","obtention":"The João Allen Collection was acquired by the Câmara Municipal do Porto in 1851 and transferred to the Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis In 1940.","bibliography":"Vasconcelos, J. de, “Sequeira e Junot”, *Arte – Archivo de Obras de Arte*, ano VIII, No. 90, Porto, 1912, pp. 46–48.  \nFranca, J. A., *Arte em Portugal no Século XIX*, Lisbon, 1991, pp. 146–147.  \n*Sequeira 1768–1837,* *Um Português na Mudança dos Tempos,* exhibition catalogue, MC/ IPM/ MNAA, Lisbon, 1997, pp. 184–185.  \nAAVV – *Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis*, Roteiro da Colecção: Porto, 2001, p. 64.","copyright":"Copyright image: Divisão de Documentação Fotográfica/ Instituto dos  Museus e da Conservação,I.P.","author":"Elisa Ribeiro Soares","translator":"Lili Cavalheiro","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["allegorical painting","Ancient Regime","Historical painting","Napoleon"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"5b4796ea-ab90-5420-b4cb-3d7907e7624f":{"name":"Impala","type":"Painting","holder":"Cleveland Museum of Art","dates":"1968","location":"Cleveland, Ohio"},"5b990d35-bcaf-52cf-a880-52eebc5cded0":{"name":"*Zulaikha Seizing the Skirt of Yusuf's Robe* Folio from an album (or manuscript) with ghazals by Sa'adi","short_description":"The miniature on the folio illustrates one of the key episodes of the poem \"Yusuf and Zuleikha\" by Jami. Zuleikha invites Yusuf (pictured with a “flame of the prophet\" around his head) to a magnificent palace where he declares love. However, the virtuous Yusuf tries to escape. Zuleikha catches up to him at the door and grabs the edge of his robe. The man in the golden crown watching the scene from behind the open door on the left is probably the husband of Zulayaha, the Egyptian nobleman. He holds a \"finger of surprise\" at his mouth - a conditional gesture in Persian miniature signifying great astonishment.  \nThe composition and style of the painting follow a famous miniature of AD 1640, attributed to the brush of Muin Musavvir (1617–1702), an outstanding master of the Isfahan painting school.  \nInterestingly, the miniature is painted on a folio from a poetic album (or a manuscript) of the late 16th century, containing poems by Sa’adi Shirazi (1203 / 1210–1291), a great Persian poet.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 17th century (miniature); AD 16th century (calligraphy)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 25cm, Width: 14.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by L. Guzalian (1953, date, origin) and H. Rudyk (2017, origin specified). Sa'adi ghazal identified by N. Vyshnevska (2016).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased in 1940s in Kyiv from a private owner.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nFarhad, M., “The Art of Muʿin Musavvir: A Mirror of His Times,” in Sheyla R. Canby (ed), *Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting*, Bombay: Marg, 1990.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school (?)","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Gold","Ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"5bd17908-448f-5c04-945f-101115486457":{"name":"Oil Painting","description":"Large scale (over 2m long) oil painting by George Scharf of Assyrian sculpture from Nimrud, based on the original drawing by Layard.","type":"Oil Painting","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"After 1853","location":"London","provenance":"United Kingdom"},"5c13ad64-b549-5470-8c28-60447c1829ab":{"name":"Christ in Majesty","description":"This icon, known as Christ in Majesty, was once part of the Deesis tier as well as the centerpiece of an iconostasis, a wall of icons separating the nave from the sanctuary in an Orthodox church. An icon of the Mother of God would have hung to the right and an icon of John the Baptist to the left. The Deesis tier usually extends outward on either side with Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the apostles facing Christ. This image represents Christ’s Second Coming and Last Judgment. He is seated on a throne surrounded by seraphim and cherubim angels in a scene of glory based on visions of the Old Testament prophets. Christ’s radiance illuminates the whole scene. The corners depict the symbols of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Christ bestows a blessing with his right hand and in his left holds the Bible open to the passage, “Come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-29). The Greek letters in three sections of Christ’s halo represent the oneness of the three-part Trinity. At the very top of this icon are the letters IC and XC, representing the first and last initials of the Greek name for Jesus Christ.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1580","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 166cm, Width: 128.3cm, Depth: 14cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from the Temple Gallery, London, in 2009. Gifted by Gordon Lankton to the Museum of Russian Icons in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Jesus Christ","Religious iconography"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"5c505fce-a478-511a-be3a-4ccea6c65fe1":{"name":"An illustrated copy of the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi","short_description":"This copy of Firdawsi’s epic is richly illustrated with 62 paintings, most extending well beyond the rulings. Stylistically, the paintings are the work of at least four artists, but only three of them are signed by Kazim Quli, who is otherwise unrecorded.  \nAccording to the colophon on folio 541a, the copying of the text was completed on 14 September 1602. No patron is mentioned, but a note on folio 1a, written by the Mughal emperor Jahangir, mentions that the manuscript entered the Mughal royal library on 21 March 1609. The manuscript remained there until at least 25 April 1686, as attested by a number of inspection and transfer notes on folios 1a and 541b, written by librarians during the reigns of emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Awrangzeb. A note on folio 1a, accompanied by the names of 3 witnesses, mentions that the manuscript was in Shikarpur on 10 September 1739, when it was given to a certain Haji ‘Abbas who was to hand it over to Sardar Mir Afdal Khan in Qandahar.","type":"Manuscript; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Friday, 27 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1011 / AD 14 September 1602","location":"London","dimensions":"541 folios, 35 x 23.8cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon and the notes written by Mughal emperors and officials within the Mughal royal library.","provenance":"Iran, probably Isfahan","obtention":"Formerly Hagop Kevorkian Collection.  \nSotheby’s, London, sale of 3 April 1978, Lot 162.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Iran","manuscript ornamentation","miniature","Paper","Safavid","watercolour"],"materials":["3 are signed by Kazim Quli","62 illustrations","gold and silver","gold and watercolour on paper","in ink","Ink","Opaque watercolour","signed by ‘Alijan ibn Haydar Quli al-Harawi","text in nasta‘liq"]},"5cada7e5-c863-5bd3-ae0b-41ec4765404d":{"name":"*Grand Vizier*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"5cb50de2-2586-516f-843e-945e72d7f294":{"name":"Miniature","description":"In this miniature, an entire world of living beings—mothers and children, animals, plants, and all forms of life—is depicted within a single drop of water. Beneath the drop appears an Arabic inscription from the Qur’an, Surat al-Anbiya (21:30):  \n\"*Ve ce‘alnā min al-mā’i kulla shay’in ḥayy*\" —  \n“We created every living thing from water.”  \n  \nThe work symbolises the idea that all beings are bound together through water, sharing a common origin and interdependence. Reflecting this message, the Istanbul Water Museum has embraced the motto “Su Kardeşliği” — \"The Brotherhood of Water.\"","type":"Miniature","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1431 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 26cm, width: 39cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["miniature","Qur'an","water"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"5cd47c3e-f1b1-509d-9ccf-cb760a90b372":{"name":"*Apostle Matthew*","description":"The Church and Cloister of the Order of St. Basil in Máriapócs in the Eparchy of Munkács (Mukachevo) was an important centre of the Greek Catholic Church in historical Hungary before the Trianon Peace Treaty of 1920 and the breaking up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In this region, the Western Church met with the Eastern churches of the Byzantine ritual, which joined with Rome in 1646. While the 15th and 16th centuries were characterised by the homogeneous Medieval Meta-Byzantine Christian culture of the Eastern churches in the Carpathian region, the 17th century saw modern attitudes surface together with renovation of churches, and the appearance and florescence of a local Late Renaissance style. As the 18th century dawned, a new chapter began in the history of the Eastern churches, one of modernisation, an orientation towards the West and the gradual prevalence of the Baroque.  \nOf the iconostases that survive from the second half of the 18th century, the majority were by Galitsian painters, masters from local travelling studios and folk artists. From this time on, Baroque and Rococo features dominated in the style of the icons, as well as the structural elements of the iconostases. Remarkable among these, are works by Mihály (Mihail) and Tádé (Tadeus) Spalinszky. Both originated from Galitzia and became the principal painters of the Eparchy (e.g. the iconostases in Sátoraljaújhely, Ungvár (Uzhorod) and Máriapócs). In 1785, Mihály Spalinszky signed a contract to paint the Máriapócs icons, for which he was paid 130 German Gold coins. The documents relating to the commission are in the Order's archives. This full-figure icon of the Apostle Matthew was isolated from the iconostasis of painted Apostles, all of which were, presumably, after Baroque engravings and painted by the artist Mihály Spalinszky from Galitzia.  \nAlongside icons, the Greek Catholic Church and the Eparchy of Munkács (Mukachevo), began to commission new genres such as frescoes, the bishop's portrait gallery and paintings of dignitaries lying in state, all of which became part of the Spalinszky brothers' oeuvre.","short_description":"The Church and Cloister of the Order of St. Basil in Máriapócs in the Eparchy of Munkács (Mukachevo), was an important centre of the Greek Catholic Church in historical Hungary. In this region the Western Church met with the Eastern churches of the Byzantine ritual, which joined with Rome in 1646. This full-figure icon of the Apostle Matthew was isolated from the iconostasis of painted Apostles, all of which were, presumably, after Baroque engravings and painted by the artist Mihály Spalinszky from Galitzia.","type":"Painting (Icon painting; part of an iconostases)","holder":"Nyíregyháza, Greek Catholic Ecclesiastical Collection","owner":"The Estate of the Greek Catholic Church","initial_owner":"The Estate of the Greek Catholic Church in Máriapócs","dates":"1785–87","location":"Nyíregyháza, Greek Catholic Ecclesiastical Collection, Kelet-Magyarország / East Hungary","dimensions":"H: 105 cm; w: 55 cm","place_of_production":"Máriapócs","method_for_datation":"From archive data","provenance":"The Estate of the Greek Catholic Church in Máriapócs","obtention":"From the Greek Catholic Church of Máriapócs.","bibliography":"Puskás, B., *A görög katolikus egyház művészete a történelmi Magyarországon. Hagyomány és megújulás* (*The art of the Greek Catholic Church in Historic Hungary: Tradition and Innovation*), Budapest, Budapest, 2008, pp. 186–194.","author":"Bernadett Puskás","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Bernadett Puskás","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Greek Catholic","icon","iconostasis","Mihály (Mihail) Spalinszky","Mukachevo","Munkács","Order of St. Basil","religious object","Rococo","St. Basil","Tádé (Tadeus) Spalinszky"],"materials":["Mixed media: oil and tempera on wood"]},"5d81f529-0519-5b10-ba1c-6c8d92b01735":{"name":"The Battle between the Novgorodians and the Suzdalians","description":"This icon type, among the first to depict an event from Russian history, illustrates the 1169 battle in which the Suzdalians besieged the city of Novgorod. During the siege, Archbishop Ilya of Novgorod ordered that an icon of the Mother of God be brought out from the Church of the Transfiguration to give the Novgorodians courage. According to legend, the icon was displayed on the city walls where it was struck by a Suzdalian arrow. The icon miraculously began to weep, and through the intercession of the Mother of God, the Novgorodians defeated the Suzdalians. This image is particularly rich in its narrative and compositional details.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1790","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 28.6cm, Width: 24.5cm, Depth: 3.8cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 1995. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"5e053a64-1076-5c13-b2f5-a260eeae41de":{"name":"The court of Kayumars  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. A large part of the poem focuses on prehistoric, legendary kings, some of whom ruled for hundreds of years and established man’s knowledge of everything from fire to weaving. According to Firdausi, the very idea of kingship originated with King Kayumars, who ruled for thirty years, overseeing a peaceable kingdom in which men wore leopard-skin robes and wild animals grew tame. In this utopia Kayumars had one secret enemy, the evil Ahriman, whose envy drove him to incite his own son, the Black Div, to murder Siyamak, the son of Kayumars. Before the assassination took place, the angel Surush warned Kayumars of Ahriman’s plot.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1524–1525","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Stuart Cary, *A King’s Book of King’s: The Shah-Nameh of Shah Tahmasp*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972. ISBN: 9780300192650.","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","Guymars","Kayumars","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"5e51433f-c353-5de6-8d1d-14dc9459c3f2":{"name":"*Moors of Tetouan*","alternate_name":"*Moros de Tetuán*","description":"This painting was made around 1863 when the author travelled to Morocco with Mariano Fortuny. The reason for his travel was to paint the characters and picturesque garments as the way of life of the people from Morocco.  \nHis experiences can be seen in his paintings and drawings.  \nDuring his travels he bought exotic artworks as Egyptian sarcophagi.  \nHarem and markets are considered a genre painting in Orientalism.","type":"Painting","holder":"Lázaro Galdiano Museum","dates":"c. 1860","location":"Madrid","author":"Ámparo López","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"5f4d8280-c94a-5c7e-9533-fc8bc96f6c17":{"name":"*The Blessed Franco Resurrecting a Child*","description":"This picture is part of a series hanging on three of the walls of the sacristy of the Carmelite church of Medicina, a town near Bologna. The cycle is well documented and so it is known exactly when each picture was hung on the wall. The attribution is certain: the architectural details were painted by Fra Ferdinando da Bologna, one of the best pupils of Ferdinando Bibiena. Originally, the figures were missing and the paintings were incomplete. In 1753, the Carmelite fathers asked the painter Nicola Bertuzzi from Ancona to complete Dal Buono architecture with the stories of the blessed Franco, who lived in the thirteenth-century.  \nThe picture of the *Miracle of the Resurrection of the Child* hangs above the entrance door of the sacristy. The scene takes place inside a great baroque church. The blessed Franco, with a penitential helmet on his head, answers the prayer of the little boy's mother and resuscitates him. The scene occupies the middle of the painting and is introduced by the wonder of a Carmelite brother, followed by a dog. The vivid description of the architectural details is made through a one-point corner perspective on the left. The luminosity of the central episode is emphasised by the dynamic lights and shades inside the scenography. In the background, Bertuzzi depicts some of the daily activities of the religious order such as confession and communion, that complete naturally the resurrection of the child. The culture of the Bibienas' is strongly evident, combined with the refined culture of Fra Ferdinando and the skilled work of Bertuzzi. The powerful scenic invention combines Bibienesque schemes with views of existing architecture reflective of the Carmelite Church of Medicina and the interior of the Cathedral of Ferrara. The decorative architecture, the vivid colours and the delicate lights are typical of a baroque taste moving towards Rococo.","short_description":"This painting was commissioned by the Carmelite community of Medicina in 1751 to the Bolognese painter Vincenzo Dal Buono also known as Fra’ Ferdinando da Bologna, a pupil of Ferdinando Bibiena. Nicola Bertuzzi added the stories of the blessed Franco at a later time.  \nIn the middle of the picture, the blessed, with the penitential helmet on his head, is resuscitating a child. The lively description of architecture is seen through a corner perspective with a vanishing point on the left, a typical feature of the Bibienas’.","type":"Painting","holder":"Chiesa del Carmine","owner":"Parish church of San Mamante, Medicina","initial_owner":"Carmelite order","dates":"1751–1754","location":"Medicina, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"300 x 300 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Documents.","provenance":"Medicina","obtention":"Carmelite church of Medicina.","bibliography":"Samoggia, L. “Fra'Ferdinando da Bologna quadraturista”, *Romagna arte e storia:* III, Imola, 1983, pp. 79-98.  \nSamoggia, L. “I cicli pittorici: pittura e cultura artistica nel convento di Medicina”, *La chiesa del Carmine di Medicina*, Bologna, 1983.  \nSamoggia, L. “Ferdinando da Bologna (Dal Buono Vincenzo)”, *Dizionario biografico degli Italiani*,  Rome, 1996, pp. 207-208.  \n*I Bibiena: una famiglia europea* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. D. Lenzi and J. Bentini), Venice, 2000, p. 425.","workshop":"School of the Bibienas’; Bolognese Late baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Paolo Cova","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Bibiena","Carmelite","corner perspective","Fra Ferdinando da Bologna","Nicola Bertuzzi","Pendant","Religious","scenography","Vincenzo Dal Buono"],"materials":["Tempera on canvas"]},"5ff60937-5e79-50fd-9f4b-b979480be0f5":{"name":"*A Youth with a Lion* Folio from an album","short_description":"The depicted scene takes place in a garden of a Persian Shah or a lord. Only the upper elite of Iranian society could afford keeping large predatory felines in their gardens. The young man's headdress fits the AD mid-17th century Safavid fashion.  \nThe author of the painting is Afzal al-Husayni (also named Mir Afzal Tuni, Afzal), a younger contemporary and follower of Reza Abbasi. Known primarily as the master of erotic drawing, Afzal preferred to depict the leisure of the Persian aristocracy: young men or love scenes in the garden. In addition to the artistic manner, the author is also indicated by an inscription in the bottom right of the folio that reads: “He! On the first day of the month of Jumat the Second of year 1056, the drawing of the most humble Afzal al-Husayni was completed”.  \nSince the late 16th century the Iranian miniature has acquired the role of an independent piece of art. The prestige of the artist's work and his creative and economic freedom was growing, and it became much easier to make a living on producing single page works than on illustrating a whole book. Separate paintings as well as calligraphic folios with poems constituted *murakka* albums, reflecting the aesthetic and intellectual demand of wealthy collectors.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 1646","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 16.3cm, Width: 19.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), L. Guzalian (examination, 1953, date specified).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Afzal al-Husayni","calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"606d3d8f-c123-5583-829c-0f993f3625e5":{"name":"*Still life with Crabs, Pitcher, Glass, Loaf and Mouse*","description":"Izbighy Veres of Kassa (Košice) was one of the most accomplished painters of the period in Hungary. According to sources, he executed several commissions in Kassa (Košice), and a number of his still life paintings are in Slovakian and Hungarian collections today. Indications of the Hungarian origins of this painting are evident not only in the signature, but also in the blue-white lead-glazed jar; in addition, the loaf of bread is similar to that seen on a supraport painting by him in Koháry Castle at Szentantal (Antol). In another painting in the Xantus János Museum, Győr, Izbighy arranged a heap of crawfish on a plate in a similar way.  \nUp until the beginning of the 20th century, discussion of Izbighy Veres' still life paintings was primarily in terms of their symbolic meaning. In this particular painting, however, this is hardly a major consideration as, clearly, it is influenced by the 17th-century still life genre of Austria and south Italy and, considering its style and spirituality, is certainly related to three works of the Austrian “Burgher paintress” Anna Maria Punz (Österreichische Galerie, Vienna), though this one by Izbighy is of an earlier date.","short_description":"The signed work of István Izbighy (Izbigi) Veres, a painter from Kassa (Košice) shows the influence of Austrian and south Italian still life painting, in particular the work of the “Burgher paintress” Anna Maria Punz. His other works may well have symbolic meaning but symbolism is a minor consideration when considering this particular painting.","type":"Painting (still life)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","dates":"c. 1730","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 42 cm; w: 53 cm","method_for_datation":"The painting is signed and the date established by stylistic analysis.","provenance":"Swiss private collection","obtention":"Transferred in an exchange from a Swiss private collection to a private collection in Karinthia, Austria.","bibliography":"Mojzer, M., (ed) “Cat. Nr. A. 44.” *The Metamorphosis of Themes: Secular Subjects in the Art of the Baroque in Central Europe, e*xhibition catalogue, Budapest, 1993.","author":"Miklós Mojzer","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Etelka Rozgonyi","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Anna Maria Punz","Antol","burgher","figural decoration","István Izbighy (Izbigi) Veres","Italian influence Kassa","Kaschau","Košice","southern Italy","Still life","Szentantal"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"60d42b24-3acf-5ae0-ab4f-e3aae453f313":{"name":"*Still-life with Calligraphic Panel*","description":"Feyhaman Duran was particularly interested in portrait painting and went to Paris in 1910 through the patronage of the Egyptian Prince Abbas Halim Pasha to further his studies in this genre. He greatly profited from the teaching of Paul Richet, professor of anatomy in the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He also attended the Julian Academy where he learned a great deal from Jean-Paul and Albert Laurens. In 1913-14 he worked in the Cormon studio in the School of Fine Arts. Although devoting most of his time to portrait painting, Feyhaman Duran also did paintings of flowers and nudes, but he was definitely most interested in the portrayal of people, and he had very little time for non-figurative painting.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"Beginning of the 20th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"60e1aa5c-a47e-5cdf-ab3b-bdba4f9694bd":{"name":"*Perspective with a Banquet Scene*","description":"Ferdinando Bibiena was a great architect and scenographer. Working with his sons, Bibiena shared the artistic and theatrical Italian fashion of architectural perspective throughout Europe. In his last years he was a professor at the Accademia Clementina. His teachings promoted a predilection for perspective painting as an autonomous decorative genre that soon became very fashionable all over Europe.  \nBibiena painted this picture in 1721, upon returning to Bologna after a long stay in Vienna. There is a pendant of the same subject which was painted by a follower of Bibiena. Monumental architecture, arches, vaults, columns, and balustrades are on an angular perspective. Side vanishing points make the space deeper and convey the impression of a theatrical scene. The small figures taking part in the sumptuous banquet in the foreground come from different directions. They are positioned at the base of enormous columns, thus emphasising the magnificence of the architecture.","short_description":"The painting was commissioned by the Accademia Clementina to Ferdinando Galli Bibiena in 1721. It was presented to the Senate of Bologna to celebrate the homecoming of the celebrated scenographer and theatrical architect and his congregation to the local Academy of fine arts. Magnificent architectural elements on an angular view form an eclectic and fantastic ensemble, the theatrical side of the baroque taste for illusion.","type":"Architectural painting","holder":"Collezioni Comunali d'Arte","initial_owner":"Accademia Clementina","dates":"1721","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"173,3 x 229 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Documents in the State Archive of Bologna show that the painting was already finished on the 6th of November 1721. The Accademia Clementina had already decided to have it delivered to the apartment of Gonfaloniere, on the first floor of Palazzo Comunale.","provenance":"Bologna","obtention":"The painting, originally located on the first floor of Palazzo Comunale, was moved to the museum, on the second floor of the same building, in 1992.","bibliography":"Lenzi, D. “Le tempere di architettura”, *Meravigliose scene piacevoli inganni. Galli Bibiena*, (exhibition catalogue), Arezzo, 1992, pp. 94-95, n. 40.  \nLenzi, D. in I *Bibiena una famiglia europea* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. J. Bentini and D. Lenzi), Bologna, 2000, pp. 415-417, n. 127.","workshop":"Baroque","author":"Elisabetta Berselli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Accademia Clementina","architectural perspective","corner perspective","eighteenth-century painting Bologna","Ferdinando Galli Bibiena","Pendant","scenography","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"6177d6e0-4105-5c92-a2c3-cf308dc051e6":{"name":"\"Alexander Fights a Sea Battle\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"In the episode illustrated, Alexander the Great has ordered the construction of a tall tower surmounted by a revolving mirror in order to battle the pirates menacing the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonists appear as contemporary Indians wearing turbans and tunics, rather than ancient Greeks, and one of the fighters uses a gun, an invention from nearly two millennia after Alexander’s time.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1005-6 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8 cm, width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\"in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89)  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.*. Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, 2001.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446566","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Main support: ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"61c3680d-7e1f-5627-a43b-1ebb99008f0e":{"name":"Folio with two miniatures from Persian translation of 'The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence' by Zakaria Qazwini","short_description":"A folio from Persian translation of a popular cosmography treatise \"The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence\" by Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Qazwini. The book, written in AD 13th century, covers the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history, in a mixture of science and superstition. Both sides of the folio are embellished with miniatures featuring fruit-bearing trees.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 11.5cm, Width: 11.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Berlekamp, Persis, *Wonder, Image, and Cosmos in Medieval Islam*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nNewman, Andrew (ed), *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period*, Leiden: Brill, 2003.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","manuscript","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Paints and ink on paper"]},"6204d094-907f-5ef3-b378-936a43e07247":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"These images show events that took place on the Golden Horn on the evening of the third day. In them, we see the sultan seated in a tent on the Arsenal Palace quay surrounded by attendants. Two rafts are floating by. The one at the right, of which we can only see a part but appears to be a platform mounted on a pair of caiques, was donated by Yeğen Mehmed Pasha, Superintendent of the Customs Office. The figures of two rams suspended on gears and pulleys from the roof butt one another. This is following a real raft on which are set two gigantic dummies that face backwards and are dressed in Persian garb. At the front of the raft is a huge wheel of fireworks that one of the pyrotechnicists is causing to revolve. Its supporting frame is surmounted by a fire-spewing bird and rockets hurtle this way and that.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"623ac570-c51d-5c93-af68-2dca3ce23ce0":{"name":"Heech (Nothingness)","description":"Justification: This item can be used to explain absence, rupture, and the void left by collapsed empires and broken political orders.","type":"Sculpture","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"2007","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 204 cm; width: 90 cm; Depth: 90 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/heech-nothingness-mat200842","keywords":["absence","rupture","void"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"643bea8a-60c4-536d-8abb-76054e8cc2b2":{"name":"*Holy Family with Saints John and Elizabeth*","description":"Nothing is known of the date nor who commissioned the painting, first recorded in the collection of Scipione Borghese in 1650. It is, therefore, likely that it may originally have been linked to the Cardinal. Pulzone had painted a portrait of his uncle Camillo, who became Pope in 1605, forging strong links with the noble family.  \nThe canvas is one of the most celebrated paintings of the Counter-Reformation, practically its thesis. A moral interpretation of its subject contrasts the motherhood of the young Mary with the characteristics of the aged Elizabeth. Indeed their gestures clearly express the virtues that distinguish them: modesty and chastity for Mary, patience and benevolence for Elizabeth.  \nThis was one of the first works to be completed in accordance with the dictates of the Council of Trent. Although it is not dominated by a rigid structure, the devotional emphases linked to the spirituality of the time, of which Pulzone was one of the great exponents, has a great sensitivity. Here the artist combines Flemish detail with his predilection for the careful representation of reality, the Venetian colour he found through Sebastiano Luciani (“Sebastiano del Piombo”) and careful drafting, of which he is a master.  \nHis enormous capacity to assimilate different styles and intentions are fused into this fundamental work, which can be dated between 1588 and 1590, during which time he was active on an important project at the Gesù Church site where he worked with the famous Jesuit Giuseppe Valeriano.  \nThe artist also worked for the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. The composition of the work is extremely simple; the figures arranged using criteria from the 15th century. The most significant comparison is with the work of Raphael, which can be seen in the expression of the characters, whose figures assume a highly monumental character.","short_description":"Pulzone, one of the leading painters of the Counter-Reformation, was particularly active for the new religious orders, such as the Oratory founded by St. Filippo Neri. He is also well known as a portrait painter.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"1588/90","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 135 cm; w: 105 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1959, n.163, p. 111.  \nZeri, F., *Pittura e Controriforma. L'“Arte senza tempo” di Scipione Pulzone da Gaeta,* (1957), Turin, 1979, pp. 86–89.  \nUlivi, M., in *Sebastiano del Piombo 1485–1547*, exhibition catalogue, (Rome), Cenate Sotto (Bg), 2008, cat. 116, pp. 356–357.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","devotional painting","Flemish influence","influence of the Councilof Trent on painting","Madonna","Oratory","religious object","religious orders","St.Philip Neri"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"649d4fc6-efad-5c54-848f-c9739373ad0f":{"name":"*The Elephant Clock*, folio from a *Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by al-Jazari","short_description":"This folio comes from a treatise on fantastic devices invented by the author Isma‘il al-Jazari. His elephant clock was especially intricate: every half hour, the bird on the dome whistled, the man below dropped a ball into the dragon’s mouth, and the driver hit the elephant with his goad. This automaton is reminiscent of the elaborate clocks found on medieval town halls in Europe, which made the passage of time more entertaining through the performance of the moving figures. The folio is a rare survival from Syria, where few such manuscripts from this date are known.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 30cm, W: 19.7cm; Mat: H: 48.9cm, W: 36.2cm; Frame: H: 51.4cm, W: 38.7cm","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif  \nAuthor: Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, 1136–1206  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (by 1932–d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art, New York. The Iranian Institute*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: no. Gallery VII; case 72G, 190.  \nAtil, Esin, *Art of the Arab World*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1975.  \nAtil, Esin, *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981: 255–57.  \nBernus-Taylor, Marthe, *L'Etrange et le Merveilleux en Terres d'Islam. Musée du Louvre 23 avril–23 juillet 2001*, Paris: Musée du Louvre, 2001.  \nCampbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 133, ill. (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 227–335, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 143–45, no. 92, ill. 144 (colour).  \nRoxburgh, David J. (ed), *Turks. A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600*, London, New York: Royal Academy of Arts, 2005.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/2 (Autumn 1978): 4–5, ill. 5 (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 50–51, ill. fig. 35 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Arabic inscription","Clock","Elephant","engineering","gold","ink","Mamluk","manuscript","measuring instrument","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","scientific object","Syria","timekeeping","treatise"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"656be3c6-61c1-54ad-b1d9-a2b1dcaa12a9":{"name":"Nature morte à la corbeille de verres et aux roses blanches","short_description":"This is a still life consisting of a basket of glasses, a present-day picture postcard of Romont Castle, an empty lemonade bottle with the label “Fribourg” and a vase of white roses. A rose branch with a shoot and a withered petal lies next to it. The basket covers the upper edge of a postcard lying underneath, on which a biblical scene (the healing of Tobias) appears.  \n  \nThe work consists of glass with facet cut. It was created for the inauguration of the permanent exhibition of reverse glass at the Vitromusée Romont in October 2006, when the museum was renovated and its collection extended to include not only stained glass but glass art in general. Two compositional elements reference this context: the postcard of Romont Castle, which houses the museum, and the postcard depicting a reverse painting on glass by Swiss artist Franz Thaddäus Menteler the Younger (1751–94) from 1780. The glass basket is also a reference to the 17th-century Alsatian Mannerist Sébastien Stoskopff.  \n  \nThe painting is notable for the delicate light effects on the glasses and the play between translucence and reflection of the vase and bottle. In Yves Siffer’s work, almost all the objects depicted recall human activities and evoke everyday life. His still life works are often allegories of transience.","type":"Reverse glass painting; painting","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","initial_owner":"Yves Siffer","dates":"2006","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 35.5cm, Width: 44.5cm","method_for_datation":"By date and signature","method_for_provenance":"According to the signature","provenance":"France, Neubois","obtention":"Purchased from the artist in 2010","bibliography":"Jolidon, Yves, \"Meister einer subtilen Kunst: die Hinterglasmalerei Yves Siffer\", in Vitromusée Romont (ed), *Yves Siffer: peintre sous verre = Yves Siffer: Hinterglasmaler*, exhibition catalogue, Romont : Vitromusée Romont, 2009: 43-58.  \nVitromusée Romont (ed), *Yves Siffer: peintre sous verre = Yves Siffer: Hinterglasmaler*, exhibition catalogue, Romont : Vitromusée Romont, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2502507","author":"Elisa Ambrosio","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["basket","bottle","flowers","glass","postcard","Still life"],"materials":["Reverse painting on glass in acrylic paint"]},"65d47d8e-ddfc-5e73-9b72-7398f5e3072b":{"name":"Amorous couple observed by a wet nurse","short_description":"The brush drawing of a pair of lovers in close embrace is by Muʿin Musavvir, one of the most famous and prolific Iranian painters of the 17th century. Young amorous couples were a fairly popular subject in his time and they exist in countless variations. The present version is erotically charged, portraying a young Georgian man (distinguished by his fur cap) embracing a young Persian woman. Self-confident, she stops the demanding gesture of his left hand. Further dating evidence is provided by the swelling calligraphic line, characteristic of 17th century drawings. About a dozen brush drawings by Muʿin are known to exist; quite often, they show a similar palette consisting of red, green and ochre in addition to black ink  \n  \nMuʿin is known for his rather conservative style, remaining true, during his entire 60 year career, to the style established by Riza ʿAbbasi at the beginning of the 17th century. Therefore, Europeanising motifs are very rare in his oeuvre. However, in this piece he not only integrated a set piece probably stemming from European portraits and prints - the symmetrically divided and high-bound curtain - but also an old woman peering in through the door. The theme of the uninvited observer was to enjoy great popularity in Iran, especially in the 19th century, making it one of the earliest representations of this specific iconography.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)","dates":"Hegira 19th Shawwal 1089 / AD 4 December 1678","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 27.7 x 35cm","place_of_production":"Probably Isfahan","method_for_datation":"The artist signed and dated his work.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owners was given by the  gallery where object was sold in 2006.","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan (miniature)","obtention":"Gift of Catharina Dohrn, Ulrich Albers, Dominik Keller, Alex Vannod","bibliography":"Robert Eng, “Moʿin-e Moṣavver,” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2016, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/moin-e-mosavver (accessed on 6 September 2022)","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["opaque watercolour and gold on paper (border)","Watercolour and gold on paper (miniature)"]},"66a80969-9e6e-5ff5-84fa-b05805576bf2":{"name":"*St. Mary Magdalene*","description":"The altarpiece has a semi-circular top edge and shows the figure of St. Mary Magdalene placed in a shallow diagonal in the mid-ground behind step-like stone blocks. She is wearing a dress with long, wide, slightly flattened and relaxed folds and with her head thrown back, she is casting a repentant look at the sky, her hands around a large Crucifix. The scene, which takes place in a forest with a cave, has Mary Magdalene kneeling upon and leaning against natural stone blocks. Her other attributes are a whip with five lashes, a pot of ointment, a skull and an open book. The colours are muted and in many places dark, with an accent of light only on Magdalene's breast, face and hands and on the two angels' heads that peep from the cloud above the rounded cave opening.  \n*St. Mary Magdalene,* commissioned by the boot-makers' guild to hang above an altarpiece in St. Mary's Church in Zagreb, was the work of Anton Cebej, who besides Valentin Metzinger, Franjo Ilovšek and Fortunato Bergant was one of the most respected Slovenian painters of the time. Three years later, in 1773, the cobblers' guild commissioned a painting from him for an altarpiece, which depicts the Death of St. Joseph.  \nCebej was particularly distinguished in religious compositions and portraits, and among his contemporaries, his style is closest to the Italian model. The professional crafts guilds of the same or different professions had a very strong humanitarian and religious component, and to express their religious obligations some guilds had their own altars of which they took permanent care, such as the guilds of Zagreb's Gradec already mentioned.  \nRemoved during renovation of the church, the altars and paintings became the property of collector Solomon Berger, founder of the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb. The Museum of Arts and Crafts on several occasions bought or was donated pieces from his collection.","short_description":"*St. Mary Magdalene,* commissioned by the boot-makers' guild to hang above an altarpiece they had also commissioned for St. Mary's in Zagreb, was painted by Anton Cebej, one of the most influential Slovenian painters of his time, distinguished in religious compositions and portraits. Among his contemporaries, Cebej's style is closest to the Italian model.","type":"Altarpiece (painting)","holder":"Museum of Arts and Crafts","initial_owner":"The painting hung above the altarpiece in St. Mary’s Church, Zagreb until 1908.","dates":"1770","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 182 cm; w: 105 cm","place_of_production":"Ljubljana","method_for_datation":"In the bottom right-hand corner, on the edge of the open page of the book is the signature “17 Antonius Zebey F.70.”","provenance":"Boot-Makers’ Guild altarpiece, St. Mary’s Church, Zagreb","obtention":"Acquired in 1935, the painting originally came from the estate of the art collector, Solomon Berger, in Zagreb, and was gifted to the Museum by the Royal Bank of the Savska Banovina Administration.","bibliography":"Buntak F., *Župna crkva Sv.* *Marije u Zagreb*u (Parish Church of St Mary in Zagreb), Zagreb, 1939.  \nŠerbelj F., *Anton Cebej, 1722–1774*, Ljubljana, 1991.","author":"Nela Tarbuk","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","guild","Italian Baroque painting","religious object"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"66dee6a2-095c-5e95-9ab7-3051179223bf":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’).","description":"The work is written in Turkish with large *naskhi* script in black ink on 90 leaves of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper. Within are 55 miniatures depicting subjects in the text, some of them one to a page and some two. On pages 1b–2a two round medallions carry an inscription stating the work's subject and saying that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95). The text is written 37 lines to a page; the titles and chapter headings are gilded. Their illumination features floral compositions with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired motifs (*hatayi-*style), while that of the first two pages' medallions includes large floral motifs (*halkar*\\-style).  \n  \nThe work's dark-green cover is lacquered using a technique known as *Edirnekari*. The outer covers are richly decorated with gold and silver in floral compositions, while the inner covers feature medallions, pendants and corner-pieces. The binding is not original.  \n  \nThe work, which was written by the court panegyrist (*Şehnameci*) Sayyid Loqman Aşuri, consists of two main sections. The first begins with the universe and the signs of the zodiac and continues with stories taken from the Torah, the New Testament, and the Qur'an which tell of the lives of prophets and those who rendered service to the faith. These are illustrated with paintings. The first part ends with genealogical trees of the Prophet Muhammad, the Four Orthodox Caliphs, and the sultans and high officials of Muslim dynasties such as the Umayyads, the 'Abbasids, the early Islamic period, the Ghaznawids, the Ilkhanids, the Seljuqs and the Timurids. The second part opens with Sultan Osman, the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, and goes up to Sultan Murad III, with 12 portraits of Ottoman sultans. It ends with descriptions of the political events of these sultans' reigns.  \n  \nThis work was made for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III, and the quality of its paintings, its binding and its calligraphy make it one of the greatest works of Ottoman art created for a sultan.","short_description":"This manuscript includes stories of the prophets, the birth of Islam and histories of Muslim states. It was written on the order of Sultan Murad III by the historian Sayyid Lokman and illuminated by famous *naqqash* (painters) Molla Kasım and Ustad Osman. It is a unique work of Ottoman art.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, paper, ink, leather binding, lacquered","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira 993 / AD 1583.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 64.7 cm, width 41.3 cm.","method_for_datation":"It is stated on the work that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. 982–1003 / 1574–95) in 993 (1583).","method_for_provenance":"The work was almost certainly written in Istanbul by order of the Sultan.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum in 1915 from the Library of the complex in Aksaray (Istanbul) founded by the wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz ('Abd al-'Aziz) I, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Zübdetü't Tevarih, Sultan III. Murad için Hazırlanan bir Şehname”, P. *Art, Culture, Antique*, 3, 1996, pp.17–37.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, pl. 19A–E; pp.52–6.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.272–5.  \n  \nRenda, G., “New Light on the Painters of the Zubdat at Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul”, *Fourth International Congress of Turkish Art,* University of Provence, 1976, pp.183–207.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Edirnekari technique","gilding","ink","lacquer","painting","Paper","watercolour","zodiac"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","the binding lacquered (Edirnekari technique).","watercolour"]},"6727ef2a-3a08-5d1f-a254-abd5bdf97f5f":{"name":"Isfandiyar’s second exploit: he kills two lions  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Recounting the story of Iran from mythical times through to the arrival of the Muslim Arabs in the mid-7th century AD, the epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) was originally completed in 1010 by the poet Firdausi. These dramatic scenes centering on Isfandiyar, son of King Gushtasp, were included in a 1341 Shahnameh that is now dispersed. The story of Isfandiyar’s exploits recalls the seven trials that the great hero Rustam underwent in his quest to liberate King Kay Kavus from captivity in a much earlier Shahnameh story. Isfandiyar endured his labours en route to rescuing his two sisters, who were captured during the ongoing war between Iran and Turan. Isfandiyar decided to take the shortest but most dangerous route to the Brazen Hold, the Turanian fortress made of brass where his sisters were imprisoned.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"741 AH / 1341","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.3 x 28cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Simpson, Marianna Shreve, “A Reconstruction and Preliminary Account of the 1341 Shahnama, With Some Further Thoughts on Early Shahnama Illustration,” in Robert Hillenbrand (ed), *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars*, London / New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 2000: 217­–47. ISBN: 9781850436591.","keywords":["folio","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper","Ink"]},"69045a19-bb48-5ecd-b0f9-4fcd7a4df298":{"name":"Pair of still lives","description":"This pair of paintings are from the collection of the Counts Calderini from Imola. In 1878, they were bequest to the municipality along with other works of art by Count Vincenzo. They were clearly pendants. On the table in the foreground fruit, flowers and dead birds are displayed.  This follows the still life style of German and Flemish tables as human traces are practically absent. These two pictures by Codino depict objects showing the social status of the owner such as the highly valuable ceramics alongside symbols which allude to the fragility of human things.   Flowers for example with their short life invite a meditation on time passing. Codino’s style strongly mimics reality, with an objective and clear filing of artificial and natural objects. The two works can be connected with the German still life school, namely to the production of Soreau and Peter Binoit, for the repeated repertory of objects and for the representation of the picture plane from a very near point of view.","short_description":"Both paintings come from the Calderini collection of Imola. They are stylistically close to the German school of still life painting. Things allusive to the fragility of life (the flowers bound to wither soon) and precious objects (ceramics) which show off the owners’ social status, are combined in these two works and painted in a highly quality style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museo di San Domenico","initial_owner":"Calderini collection","dates":"1631","location":"Imola, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"39 x 54 cm","method_for_datation":"The name Francesco Codino (Italian translation from the German Franz Godin) and the date are inscribed on the lower left in the painting bearing inventory n. 59: “F.o C.[no] 16[31]”.","provenance":"Imola","obtention":"Both pictures come as bequests from the collection of the Counts Calderini, from Imola.","bibliography":"Pedrini, C. *Catalogo della Pinacoteca di Imola*, Bologna, 1988, pp. 172-173.","workshop":"Baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Musei Civici di Imola.","author":"Oriana Orsi","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Calderini collection","floral decoration","German school","Pendant","Still life","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"696eb90a-0ce9-5dba-973b-b54eeda3a5ad":{"name":"Miniature Folding Iconostasis","description":"Miniature and folding iconostases were used starting in the 16th century, both by priests who traveled to rural areas and domestically by the Russian people. These icons, which vary in size and composition, are scaled-down versions of the partitions found in an Orthodox church and were largely used as a way to bring faith into the home. This icon consists of 15 parts and depicts the Deesis, festival and prophet tiers. The Mother of God is pictured in the center of the top row, flanked by unidentified saints.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1800","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 52.1cm, Width: 154.9cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Simon Morsink, Amsterdam, in 2008. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"69bdb01a-4161-5c8b-8079-4bbee1cbfb1d":{"name":"*Noah’s Ark*","short_description":"Timur’s son Shah Rukh (r. AH 808-851 / AD 1405-1447) ordered the historian Hafiz-i Abru to write a continuation of Rashid al-Din’s famous history of the world, Jami al-tawarikh. Like the Il-Khanids, the Timurids were concerned with legitimizing their right to rule, and Hafiz-i Abru’s “A Collection of Histories” covers a period that included the time of Shah Rukh himself.  \n  \nThe style of the manuscript’s miniatures is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, but the scene on the stormy sea is quite dramatic, with the fluttering sail, the ark breaking out of the picture frame and the swollen bodies. The animals that are to populate the earth are rendered both humorously and fairly realistically.","type":"Miniature from Hafiz-i Abru’s *Majma' al-tawarikh*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH c. 828 / AD c. 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.3cm × 32.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, 4/10-1936, 2. Session, lot 191.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. no. 23.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat. no. 18.  \n  \nGhiasian, Mohamad Reza, *Lives of the Prophets: the illustrations to Hafiz-i Abru's \"Assembly of Chronicles\"*, Leiden: Brill 2018: cat.no. 2.2, 141.  \n  \nRohr, C., ”Sintflutdarstellungen: ein transkultureller Mythos durch Zeiten und Räume” in G. J. Schenk et al. (ed.), *Mensch - Natur – Katastrophe von Atlantis bis Heute*, Mannheim: Schnell & Steiner, 2014: fig. 4.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Jami al-tawarikh","Noah's Ark","painting"],"materials":["pigments"]},"6b6ea556-21c1-572c-a50b-ec86e51487da":{"name":"*King Béla III founding the Cistercian Monastery at Szentgotthárd in 1183*","description":"Originally, the painting hung in the abbot's reception hall in the Cistercian Monastery of Szentgotthárd, as one of a representative series of six *panneaux*. The six paintings perpetuate important events in the history of the Szentgotthárd Abbey as well as two moments of Hungarian history – the battles of Mohács and Szentgotthárd – believed by many to have had a direct influence on the fate of the abbey. The large canvases covered the walls of the room like wall hangings, with the uncovered sections of wall painted with landscapes to complete the historical compositions. Both the *panneaux* and ceiling decoration are by István Dorffmaister, and were commissioned by Abbot Marian Reutter. The programme follows the work of the scholarly Cistercian monk, Theophil Heimb's history of the Szentgotthárd Abbey, published in 1764. The book contains detailed accounts of events that are faithfully translated into visual images by Dorffmaister. The main episodes from the history of the Cistercian order in Hungary provided the theme for the series, beginning with the foundation of the order. It captures the moment the French monks were received by the king and his escorts – who are wearing colourful Hungarian costumes – in front of an antique *porticus*. In the background there is a distant view of 18th-century Pest-Buda with a few medieval details added. Behind the monks there is an imaginary view of the Romanesque Church and Abbey of Szentgotthárd. The pure forms, simple light effects and the light-coloured palette – the stylistic marks of the Late Baroque mixed with the elements of Neo-Classicism so appropriate at the end of the 18th century – suggest an optimistic view of history, which is a rarity in Hungarian art.  \nWhile Dorffmaister's historical paintings were born in ecclesiastical surroundings and according to the traditional artist-patron relationship, they still bore fresh, modern meaning and became representative works of the new European tendencies of the era.","short_description":"The *panneaux* series from Szentgotthárd depicts Hungarian historical subjects; one section of it is kept in Heiligenkreuz. The *panneaux* is a very special Neo-Classical series of paintings, in this one a *veduta* of Buda Castle can be seen in the background.","type":"painting","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","initial_owner":"Cistercian Monastery, Szentgotthárd","dates":"1795–1796","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 344 cm; w: 227 cm","place_of_production":"Cistercian Monastery, Szentgotthárd","method_for_datation":"One painting of the series is signed. Origin and date verified by historical documents.","provenance":"Cistercian Monastery, Szentgotthárd","obtention":"Cistercian Monastery in Szentgotthárd transferred from the former Cistercian Monastery in Szentgotthárd. Transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts in 1950–51 where it remained until 1974 before being transferred to the Hungarian National Gallery.","bibliography":"*The Hungarian National Gallery* (ed. A. Szinyei Merse), Budapest, 1994, p. 39.  \nGalavics, G. “Die Historienbilder von Stephan Dorffmaister” in *Stephan Dorffmaister pinxit“,* Exhibition catalogue, (ed. L. Kostyál, M. Zsámbéky), Szombathely–Zalaegerszeg, 1997, p. 111–126.","author":"Zsuzsanna Boda","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Judit Pokoly","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Cistercian","Heiligenkreuz","Historical painting","István Dorffmaister","Marian Reutter","Neo-Classicism","religious orders","Szentgotthárd","Theophil Heimb"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"6c0ec863-e0e7-5b08-9c07-4fe22fc9d7ae":{"name":"*Oriental perfumes*","alternate_name":"*Perfumes Oriente*","description":"This advertisement shows that the influence of Orientalism was telegraphed to the public as a synonym for exotic places, buildings and dresses. This advertisement also could be related to the Russian ballets of Sergéi Diágilev.","type":"Advertesiment","holder":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","dates":"1900–1930","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Madrid?","author":"Ana Cabrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"6c64959a-ef24-5b36-b22d-27aafad34901":{"name":"*Adam with Seth and his Family*","short_description":"Painted on highest-quality mirror glass, this gold glass painting reproduces, in reverse, a print by Johann Sadelers I of a lost drawing by Maerten de Vos. It represents the rarely depicted scene in which the 130-year-old Adam brings home the harvest and is greeted by his third son, Seth, while Eve is preparing a meal with her children.  \n  \nThe provenance of this reverse glass painting is verified by the signature of the artist, copper engraver and court glass painter Gerhard Janssen, who worked in Vienna.  \n  \nOn several occasions, Janssen produced reverse glass paintings for Prince Karl Eusebius of Lichtenstein. The latter’s inventories show that Janssen not only made images on gold, but also in “blue with silver” on glass. He did not introduce the *eglomisé* technique to Vienna as a novelty as it was already known in the region of Bohemia and Austria around 1600 and prized by the nobility.","type":"Reverse glass painting; painting","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","initial_owner":"Ruth and Frieder Ryser","dates":"Around 1695","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 21cm, Width: 26cm","method_for_datation":"By signature","method_for_provenance":"According to the signature","provenance":"Austria, Vienna","obtention":"Donated by Ruth und Frieder Ryser in 2006","bibliography":"Jolidon, Yves and Frieder Ryser, *Hinterglasmalerei: eine Einführung mit Beispielen des Vitromusée Romont*, Romont: Vitromusée Romont, 2006.  \nRöthlisberger, Marcel, \"The Prints of Gerhard Janssen\", *Print Quarterly*, 4 : 3 (1987): 288-295.  \nSchlossmuseum Murnau (ed), *Glas, Glanz, Farbe: Vielfalt barocker Hinterglaskunst im Europa des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts*, exhibition catalogue, Murnau: Schlossmuseum Murnau, 1997.  \nSchweizerisches Forschungszentrum zur Glasmalerei Romont (ed), *Glanzlichter: die Kunst der Hinterglasmalerei = Reflets enchanteurs: l'art de la peinture sous verre*, exhibition catalogue, Bern: Benteli, 2000.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2502308","author":"Elisa Ambrosio","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["domestic animals","family","kept in and outside the house","story of Seth"],"materials":["but largely translucent glazing in two different colors. Little etching","just one oblong gas bubble","painting predominates.","Very pure mirror glass","wide facet cut on the reverse. Eglomisé"]},"6ce145a9-1c2f-50bf-a811-ee97df9fc4d0":{"name":"Musical gathering","short_description":"This colourful ensemble of musicians and entertainers illustrates the royal taste for music and dance in the Ottoman world, an interest shared with other Islamic and European courts. While single-page paintings had been introduced to the artist’s repertoire over a century before, the formation of the figures and the fact that they appear to direct their performance to an audience at their right suggests that this image formed one half of a double-page manuscript painting. Falling in line with earlier princely images depicted in Persian illustrated manuscripts, the audience would probably have consisted of a king and his attendants or courtly lovers enjoying a musical interlude in the country (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 42). Three women stand next to the musicians, dressed in peach- and crimson-coloured robes, while a fourth sits on her knees to play the *ektar*, a one-stringed lute. Meanwhile, a young boy sits to the left of the lute player and taps his tambourine to the music. The painting, once mounted on an album, retains part of a margin that was decorated in gold vegetal scrolls. While illustrated Ottoman manuscripts first tended to emphasize history and geography - sieges and battles and maps of conquered territories - this painting seems to fit into a later interest in the more peaceful aspects of courtly life. It probably dates to the early eighteenth century, during the reign of Sultan Ahmad III (r. 1703-30 CE), when war was not at the forefront of the political agenda and the sultan could refine his artistic taste, inspired by seventeenth-century Persian painting. Yet Ottoman features also abound: the cypress trees and cherry blossoms surrounding the musicians are reminiscent of such depictions on Iznik tiles made for the Ottoman court in the mid-sixteenth century under Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520-66 CE).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1700","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.2 x 24.8cm","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London / Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.","keywords":["female","female-figure","folio","illumination","illustrated","manuscript","music","musicians","painting","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"6e2bb82e-c87a-5f17-ab61-576b19d38127":{"name":"*Lamentation of Christ*","description":"The canvas dates from the Flemish painter's first trip to Rome (1602), and is contemporaneous with his first Roman commission: the paintings for the Sant' Elena Chapel in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.  \nThe work was probably done for Cardinal Montalto and did not become part of the Borghese collection until 1827.  \nThe scene shows the Lamentation of Christ according to the Gospels. In the centre of the picture, conforming to the dramatic style typical of Baroque art is the body of Christ in a bold foreshortened position, stretched out on an ancient sarcophagus and surrounded by different characters. Mary supports him with the shroud (in which he is wrapped) while looking to the heavens, where beams of light pierce dark clouds, accentuating the almost nocturnal setting of the subject. John the Evangelist, the young apostle loved by Jesus, stands opposite the elderly Joseph of Arimathea. The right side of the painting shows two female figures: one the pious woman, almost hidden, and Magdalene, in full light, in the act of drying her tears. The high drama of the composition and the richness of the colours perhaps come from the famous *Deposition* that Caravaggio completed for the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella (1602–1604). The painting nonetheless reveals clear references to Dutch Mannerism, combined in this case with classical models copied by the artist in Rome, with brilliant colours and diagonal compositions taken from Venetian and Emilian painting.","short_description":"This work was painted by Rubens during his first stay in Rome (1602). He matched Barocci's colours, the dense brushwork of the late Titian, and the roman statuary and the light and shadow of Caravaggio. The Baroque genius had blended, in an absolutely original way, this tradition with new experimentation.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Cardinale Montalto (?)","dates":"Early 17th century","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 180 cm; w: 137 cm","provenance":"Camillo Borghese Collection (1827)","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.272, pp. 182–184.  \nBodart, D., in *Pietro Paolo Rubens*, exhibition catalogue (Padua), Rome, 1990, pp. 42–43, cat. 4.  \nCostamagna, A., “La collezione di Camillo Borghese fra ricostituzione del patrimonio artistico e nuove acquisizioni”, in *Villa Borghese. I principi, le arti, la città dal Settecento all'Ottocento*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 2003, pp. 99–105.  \nVlieghe, B., *Rubens*, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2004, p. 33, cat.6.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio's influence","Christian themes","Classical model","Dutch influence","Emilian influence","Mannerism","Rubens","Venetian influence"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"6f38889e-696b-5ed9-a574-a215465cbd09":{"name":"*The Suicide of Lucretia*","description":"The *Suicide of Lucretia* is the work of the Baroque artist, Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, or Nuvoloni (as he is known to some authors) whose work belongs to the Milanese Baroque school. The painting, done in the latter part of Nuvoloni's career when he achieved work of a higher quality, is less cloying and has less pathos than earlier works. Taught by the Mannerist painter, his father, Panfilo Nuvolone (1581–1651) at the Ambrosiana Academy in Milan, he went on to study there with the well-known painter G. B. Crespi aka *il Cerano* (1557–1632). Influenced by Guido Reni, Francesco was nicknamed Guido di Lombardia. His work is characterised by pleasing colour, expression, sensuality and composed pathos. Francesco painted portraits, religious compositions and historical subjects. Other works by him are found in Milan (the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and the Pinacoteca Brera), in churches in Pavia and Varese, in Piacenza (Museo Civico), in the Dresden Alte Pinakothek and in some chapels in Lombardy.  \nThe subject of the painting is Lucretia, daughter of the Roman senator, Lucretius Tricipitinus, and wife of the Roman consul, Tarquinius Collatinus. Following her rape by Sestus Tarquinius, son of King Tarquinius Superbus, she committed suicide in 510 BC, which spurred Roman discontent with tyrannical rule and led them to proclaim a Republic.  \nThe dying Lucretia lies diagonally in the foreground. Her torso unclad, she has a mortal wound to her breast. Her greyish flesh colour is in contrast to the rich folds of red drapery that cover her knees, and in harmony with the white and green fabric of her clothing. An older woman bends over her curved body wrapped in a dark cloak, from which her lit face and the palm of one hand poke out. Lucretia and the older woman create a simple, closed composition with characteristic composed Baroque ardour and exaltation. Lucretia, symbol of chastity and of tragedy at the same time, is the victim of her own beauty. In the mid-ground on the left-hand side of the picture, from the deep shadow alongside a pillar, peer the faces of three old men. On the opposite side, the composition opens out to a landscape, bounded with clouds, within which are two Roman soldiers. The painting is composed of light and cold tones, with a silvery range.","short_description":"*The Suicide of Lucretia* is the work of the Baroque painter from Lombardy C. F. Nuvoloni, known by some as Nuvolone, who was born in Cremona. Taught at the Ambrosiana Academy by his father, Panfilo, he went on to study with G. B. Crespi. Inspired by the painter Guido Reni, he was nicknamed Guido di Lombardia, living and working in Milan, painting portraits, religious and historical subjects.  \nThe theme of this painting is the suicide of Lucretia. Lucretia was the daughter of the senator, Tricipitinus, and the wife of the Roman consul, Tarquinius Collatinus. In 510 BC, following Lucretia's rape by Sestus Tarquinius, son of King Tarquinius Superbus, the Romans ousted the king and declared a Republic.  \nThe painting shows the half-naked body of Lucretia in her death throes. Leaning over her is an older woman, while in the background three old men peer out. In the background landscape, Roman soldiers are barely discernable. In this painting, the artist depicts the tragedy of a beautiful woman with a composed ardour characteristic of the Baroque. He painted Lucretia in a cold and light tonality, richly lit with a silvery light; in the dark mid-ground, in contrast, are barely discernable figures.","type":"Painting","holder":"Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum","dates":"Mid-17th century","location":"Dubrovnik, Dalmatia","dimensions":"H: 139 cm; w: 96 cm","place_of_production":"Lombardy","method_for_datation":"The attribution to Nuvoloni by Dr. Grgo Gamulin in 1961 was through stylistic analysis and comparative material, as well as by comparison with the other established works of the painter.","obtention":"The painting was once in the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik among the works of the old masters. In 1978, the Museum of Modern Art and the Dubrovnik Museums agreed, with the approval of the Ministry of Culture, to give the works of the old masters (16th–19th centuries) to the Dubrovnik Museums, specifically to the Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum. Today the painting is on permanent display on the first floor of the former Rector’s Palace.","bibliography":"Grosselli, G., *Abecedario biografico dei pittori cremonesi,* 1837.  \nMorassi, A., *Mostra della pittura del Seicento e Settecento in Liguria,* Milano, 1947.  \nGamulin, G., “Stari majstori u Jugoslaviji, I”. *Smrt Lukrecije od C.F.Nuvolonija u Dubrovniku* (*La morte di Lucrezia di C. F. Nuvoloni),* Zagreb, *1961, pp. 150–52.*  \nGjukić-Bender, V. *Pinakoteka, Knežev dvor, Dubrovnik,* Dubrovnik, 1988, p.57.","author":"Vedrana Gjukić-Bender","copy_editor":"Graham McMaster","translator":"Graham McMaster","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Baroque","Carlo Francesco Nuvoloni","Lucretia","Milanese painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"6f8d6482-6333-5e44-8f9e-903c41299c06":{"name":"Der Eulenruf","short_description":"Abstract composition with two stylized owls in a forest landscape. According to the artist, owls, like ghosts and bats, populate the night, and their call is considered a harbinger of doom. Wirtl-Walser finds iconographic inspiration in the world of nature, fossils and archetypes. She prefers to use old, mouth-blown glass as a support for her work, because it has more texture and greater irregularities than industrially produced glass. Over many years, in several workshops and through long series of experiments in her own studio, she has learned various ways of working the surface of the glass – from binding agents to painting techniques to the uses of various glues, and from layering and cutting to engraving and mounting.  \n  \nThe artist created the mirror surface of the reverse glass painting presented here after studying old recipes for silver mirroring. An almost extinct mirror-making skill, silver mirroring has become one of her consistently recurring means of expression over many years.","type":"Reverse glass painting; mirror","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","initial_owner":"Fride Wirtl Walser","dates":"2011","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 100.4cm, Width: 39.3cm","method_for_datation":"According to the signature","method_for_provenance":"According to the signature","provenance":"Germany, Bavaria","obtention":"Purchased from the artist in 2014","bibliography":"Jolidon, Yves, \"Magie hinter Glas: Fride WirtlWalsers Hinterglaskunst“, in Vitromusée Romont and Oberammergau-Museum (eds), *Spiegelbild, Schatten und Echo: die Hinterglaswelten der Fride WirtlWalser = Echos, ombres et reflets: le monde sous verre de Fride WirtlWalser*, exhibition catalogue, Romont: Vitromusée Romont; Oberammergau: Oberammergaumuseum, 2013: S. 12–17.  \nVitromusée Romont and Oberammergau-Museum (eds), *Spiegelbild, Schatten und Echo: die Hinterglaswelten der Fride WirtlWalser = Echos, ombres et reflets: le monde sous verre de Fride WirtlWalser*, exhibition catalogue, Romont: Vitromusée Romont; Oberammergau: Oberammergaumuseum, 2013.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2502243","author":"Elisa Ambrosio","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["fabulous animals","owls"],"materials":["Silver etching","silver mirroring (mirror coating on glass)"]},"706091ba-1c94-588c-882c-871fe5fdaca3":{"name":"Miniature 'Mi'raj (the Miraculous Ascension) of Prophet Muhammad'","short_description":"Mi'raj is the scene of the Ascension of the Great Prophet Muhammad to Heaven to the throne of Allah. The iconography of the scene has become established in the Iranian painting tradition since the late AD 15th century. The composition of Mi'raj, together with the poetic dedication of God and His Prophet, traditionally opened manuscripts of historical, biographical and poetic works of classical Persian literature. In the centre of the scene we see Prophet Muhammad riding the fantastic animal Boraq, a mare with a woman’s head. Muhammad is traditionally depicted with a large flaming halo around his head. His face is covered by a veil, probably added to the picture later. In front of the Prophet, we see the Archangel Jabriel showing the way. Above the Archangel there is a lion, the heavenly personification of Ali, the first righteous Imam of the Shiites. Angels with gifts fly around the Prophet. Between the figures against the blue sky, golden \"Chinese\" clouds abound. The miniature subject combines two important Islamic legends. The Qur'anic Al-Isra (Night Journey, Surah 17) recounts the Prophet's magical night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Mi'raj (Staircase), narrated in hadiths, is the story of Muhammad's miraculous ascent to Heaven to the throne of God.","type":"Miniature; Manuscript","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33.5cm, Width: 20.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko presumably in Paris from collectors the Kalebdjian brothers. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali (dir), *Le voyage initiatique en terre d'Islam: Ascensions célestes et itinéraires spirituels*, Louvain: Cerf, 1996.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nGruber, Christiane and Colby, Frederick (eds), *The Prophet’s Ascension: Cross-Cultural Encounters with the Islamic Mi‘raj Tales*, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","mi'raj","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"70fdcb57-1eeb-5564-b13a-e80bde43f3ba":{"name":"*Courtyard of Justice at the Alhambra Palace, Granada*","alternate_name":"*Patio de la Justicia, la Alhambra de Granada*","description":"Sorolla depicted the Alhambra palace often. In this painting he chose the entry to the golden room. The beauty and exoticism of the Alhambra Palace fascinated European painters during the 19th century. Sorolla painted this monument in successive trips in 1909, 1910 and again in 1917. He was interested in architecture and especially in the Arab gardens, the play of light and water in their pools, and not so much in other topics.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1909–1910","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"718b2755-b86b-5577-8fe4-dae39544ddbd":{"name":"Scenes from the Life of John the Baptist","description":"John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus Christ and preached in the Judean desert. He lived a life of self-denial by wearing camel hair clothing and eating only locusts and wild honey. The people of the region came to him to be baptized in the Jordan River. When Jesus asked to be baptized, John proclaimed that he was not worthy of such a task and that Christ should baptize him. Christ insisted, however, and during the baptism the Holy Spirit descended and a voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John got into trouble when he criticized King Herod’s marriage to Herodias, who had a child from her previous marriage to Herod’s brother. Herod’s stepdaughter, Salome, convinced him to arrest John and demanded his head on a silver platter. Granting her wish, Herod ordered John beheaded.  \nThis icon shows several scenes from John the Baptist’s life in a single frame. At the top left, John is depicted in the wilderness, surrounded by animals. He receives inspiration from God in the form of flames. At the bottom, John is seen baptizing followers in the Jordan River while more followers prepare for baptism or don the white clothes of the newly baptized. In the top right corner of the icon, people stream out from the city while members of the aristocracy look on from above. The three figures in the central arch could be King Herod, his wife and stepdaughter, all of whom were responsible for John’s martyrdom.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1750","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 39.4cm, Width: 32.4cm, Depth: 4.3cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum of Russian Icons from a private collection in 2010.","workshop":"Mstera","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"71b58e2a-590f-5062-b329-444a2fef694c":{"name":"\"How Rustam Found a Spring\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"The two miniatures 69.74.8 and 69.74.9 illustrate the first and second of Rustam's seven ordeals. The first depicts the frequently illustrated scene of Rustam's gallant horse Rakhsh killing a lion while the hero sleeps. The subject of the second miniature is, on the other hand, rarely depicted. Rustam and Rakhsh nearly die of heat and thirst in the desert before, with the help of divine providence, they find a spring. Rustam bathes and grooms his faithful steed by the water's edge, as seen here. The painter is very sympathetic to the closeness between the hero and his trustworthy Rakhsh.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Textile Museum, Washington (until 1969)","dates":"AH ca.700-730 / AD ca. 1300 - 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Text block: Height: 15.4cm, width: 12.2cm; Painting: Height: 4.5cm, width: 8,5cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Northwestern Iran or Baghdad","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Swietochowski, M., and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions* , 1965–1975 (1975).  \n  \nSimpson, M., \"The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts.\" PhD diss., Garland Publishing, Inc., 1979.  \n  \nDiggard, J.-P., *Chevaux et cavaliers arabes dans les arts d'Orient et d'Occident* , Paris: Gallimard Institut du monde arabe, 2002.  \n  \nKelly, E., \"A Study of Islamic Metalwork.\" In *Zoomorphic Incense Burners of Medieval Khurasan.*, Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452048","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"71e28132-f25f-5443-be2a-e44193609556":{"name":"*Susanna and the Old Men*","description":"The painting, signed and dated, was acquired by Marcantonio IV Borghese in 1783 along with other works of the Flemish school. No details are known about the commissioning of the canvas, which, like the Rubens' example (inv.277), handles a subject common to painting of the Counter-Reformation. The account is taken from the Old Testament, specifically the Book of the Prophet Daniel (13, 1–64), and illustrates well the defeat of deception, expressed by the two old men – shown with lustful eyes and faces – and the victory of truth, represented by the naked Susanna.  \nVan Honthorst, known in Italy as Gherardo delle Notti, manages to transmit the feelings of surprise, indignation and shame in the Biblical heroine by the fountain, through her open mouth and terrified look. The study of mood is related to experimentation of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Guido Reni, who rendered it first in marble and then on canvas.  \nAlthough the composition follows a diagonal arrangement, possibly inspired by Emilian painting that he encountered on his long trip to Italy in the 1620s, the canvas belongs to the final productive phase of the artist. He was better known as a painter of “genre scenes” particularly renowned for the extraordinary lighting effects inspired by the Caravaggesque school of Bartolomeo Manfredi, which he frequented when in Rome. Despite connections to a secular theme and culture, van Honthorst, the leader of the Dutch Caravaggists, captures the instrument of Divine Will in the figure of Susanna, who is entirely surrounded by light, and who triumphs only after suffering cruel injustices.","short_description":"The subject is connected to the representation of the emotions according to the experimentation of Bernini and Reni among others. The theme of the painting relates to the concept of deception being defeated by divine truth.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"1655","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 157 cm; w: 213 cm","provenance":"Marcantonio IV Borghese Collection (?)","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.239, pp. 165–166.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., *Roma scopre un tesoro. Dalla pinacoteca ai depositi un Museo che non ha più segreti*, Rome, 2006, p.15.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bernini","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","Dutch Caravaggists","Emilian influence","Flemish school","genre scene","Guido Reni","Rubens","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"727ea8ec-c6ff-5c30-91b3-9e087af62768":{"name":"*Interior of a Harem*","description":"Preziosi probably used models to recreate this harem scene which as an infidel Frank he would not normally be allowed to witness. However, there is nothing in this decorous interior which is impossible or unlikely and it may be based on a visit to the house of one of his Turkish friends. The furniture and fittings show western European influence, particularly in the curious rococo wall bracket and the fringed sofa in place of the traditional raised wooden platform covered with carpets. By the middle of the 19th century French style in interior design was fashionable in Turkey, especially a degenerate form of the rococo. A version of this composition, dated 1852, is much less restrained, its details deliberately pandering to the popular western idea of a harem, based on Arabian Nights imagery.","type":"Painting","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1851","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"72ae01c0-55bc-584b-8258-a81263d1edbd":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Emissaries bring news from the provinces of Khaybar and Chin to Anoshirvan","short_description":"\"Sergeants-at-arms hastened off to all parts of the realm and found two ancient bricks, one in Khaybar and one in Chin. They brought the two bricks to Anoshirvan and reported to the emperor of the seven climes. The king summoned the *khwaja* to his retinue and, in his presence, asked the sergeants why the two countries were in ruins. The sergeants reported that in Khaybar there was a guebre named Hisham who did everything he could by way of cruelty and injustice, while in Chin, although the Khaqan was very good, he had a son named Bahram Gur, who was extremely egotistical and unruly. The subjects of those two kingdoms were tormented by the injustice of those two, and on account of them the kingdoms were in ruins.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Emissaries","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"72c0e86c-b1ae-5017-a60e-32986c29c774":{"name":"*Surname-i Hümayun* (‘Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival’).","description":"The *Surname-i Hümayun* ('Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival') is a work dealing with the celebrations held for the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, which lasted for 52 days and 52 nights in AH 990 / AD 1582. It documents, in both word and image, how during the festivities the craft guilds paraded their various products, how a variety of entertainments were organised, how banquets were held and food distributed to the public every day, how the sultan would scatter gold and silver among the people from time to time, how poor children were circumcised and given new clothes, how beggars were made happy, and how people who had been imprisoned for debt were granted their freedom by having their debts paid. For this reason the *Surname* is an important historical source providing for us a record of the AH 10th- / AD 16th-century Ottoman lifestyle; its economy, social life, culture, art and entertainment.  \n  \nThe celebration was held in the Hippodrome, i.e. the 'Horse Square'. The Ibrahim Pasha Palace is depicted here, and the three-storey wooden spectators' gallery erected at one of its corners for the use of palace officials and representatives of foreign governments, is an indispensable element of the scenes in the *Surname*.  \n  \nOne of these scenes represents the parade of the glassmakers' guild. Here the sultan, seated on the enclosed balcony of the audience hall in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace, watches the glassmakers' guild along with the assembled people and the guests sitting in the spectators' gallery. The glassmakers present the glass objects they have made, even showing the stages of glass production and the tools they use with the help of a furnace mounted on a wheeled wagon.  \n  \nAnother painting in the *Surname* shows the procession of architects and engineers with a faithful replica of the Süleymaniye Mosque made of wood and ivory. This picture is noteworthy because it represents Ottoman art in all its splendour, celebrated in both the depiction of the architect Sinan, who was still alive in this period and probably participated in this parade, and, through his most monumental building: the Süleymaniye Mosque.  \n  \nThe celebrations of the circumcision festival are transformed into a painted story through 250 double-page miniatures with compositions generally similar to the two seen here.","short_description":"*Surname* is a magnificent manuscript telling the story of the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, held at the Hippodrome in front of the Ibrahim Pasha Palace in AH 990 / AD 1582. The setting, processions and events are depicted both in writing and in miniatures.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, watercolor, miniature painting","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982-1003 / AD 1574-95).","dates":"Hegira 991–7 / AD 1583–8.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Since some pages of the manuscript are missing, including the colophon, it has been ascertained from the Kepeci Ruus register in the archives (3 Safar 997/1583 no. 250, 37) that it was completed in 997 / 1588.","method_for_provenance":"It is known that this manuscript was prepared by the team of artists in the Topkapi Palace atelier, and that it was therefore produced in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The *Surname* was made for Sultan Murad III in the Topkapi Palace atelier and is still in the palace library.","bibliography":"And, M., *Kırk Gün Kırk Gece*, Istanbul, 1959.  \nAtasoy, N., *Surname-i Hümayun*, Istanbul, 1998.  \nAtasoy, N., “Tarih Konulu Minyatürlerin Usta Nakkaşı Osman”, *Sanat Dünyamız*, 73 (1999), pp.213–21.  \nİpşiroğlu, M.Ş. “Das Hochzeitbuch Murats III”, *Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft*, Bonn, 1960.  \nTansuğ, S. *Şenlikname Düzeni*, Istanbul, 1961.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şebnem Tamcan","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","glass","Ibrahim Pasha Palace","miniature painting","Sinan.","Süleymaniye Mosque"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","leather (binding).","watercolour"]},"74a255de-faae-533b-ad80-5e73500284f7":{"name":"*The Perfect Pearls*","description":"Riki Salam’s *The Perfect Pearls* is a tribute to family, ancestry and cultural continuity. Dedicated by the artist to “those who came before us,” the work draws inspiration from his Uncle Seaman Dans’ song \"Perfect Pearl\". At its centre is Salam’s great-grandfather, Hardie Salaam Snr., depicted as a deep-sea diver. Born in Malaysia, Hardie migrated to Australia to work on a pearl lugger in the Torres Straits, embedding his story within the broader history of migration and maritime labour. Within the pearl shell are portraits of Salam’s grandparents, Hardie Salaam Jnr. and Maude Louise Savage, accompanied symbolically by their seven children, who are represented as pearls. The branching black coral evokes the artist’s immediate and extended family tree, which stretches from Mossman, on Kuku Yalanji Country, across Cape York, the Torres Straits and into the Northern Territory and Broome. The crayfish point to contemporary Torres Strait commerce, while the trochus shells and sea cucumber reference the historic trade networks linking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the Makassans.","type":"Canvas painting","holder":"Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA)","owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","initial_owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","dates":"AH 1442 / AD 2021","location":"Thornbury, VIC 3071","dimensions":"Length: 60.5cm, width: 91cm","place_of_production":"Brisbane, Queensland, Australia","method_for_datation":"Date confirmed in artist correspondence.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance established through IMA commission agreement with the artist.","provenance":"Commissioned by the IMA, Thornbury; collection of the IMA.","obtention":"Commissioned.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["aboriginal","Acrylic on canvas","AMH","Australia","Australian Muslim","Australian Muslim History","coral","family","Indigenous","malay","painting","pearl","pearl diver","pearl lugger","Riki Salam"],"materials":["Acrylic and mixed media on canvas"]},"75647d49-efe8-541c-828b-b58acf35195a":{"name":"God Rested on the Seventh Day","description":"In this icon, God reclines on a bed, illustrating the part of the creation story that reads, “On the seventh day He rested” (Genesis 2:2). Angels hold his bed and the temporarily vacant throne aloft while the Holy Spirit, represented by a dove, flies above them. All this takes place within a circle featuring the archangels, the evangelists, Christ and the Mother of God. Meanwhile, scenes from the rest of the creation story take place below. Labels on the back of this icon reveal that it was sold by Gimbels department store in the late 1930s, suggesting that it once belonged to William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was a newspaper entrepreneur who famously sold off large parts of his immense art collection during the Depression.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1550","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 27.5cm, Width: 23.5cm, Depth: 2.5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Sold at \"Exhibition of Russian Icons Arranged by Hammer Galleries\", New York City, in 1937. Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2013. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Biblical stories","Jesus Christ","Religious iconography"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"7573e18c-a60a-5e4f-926f-d8e3c737746a":{"name":"*Masquarade I*","description":"An unframed decorative scene with fantastic architecture and a masquerade of noble company indicates that the canvas was part of an interior decoration, location as yet unknown. The central motif is an impressive open construction, an oval colonnaded hall merging into a park. The architecture – marble grooved columns decorated with sculptures, garlands and draperies – evokes an air of nonchalance with noble ladies and their cavaliers passing the time accompanied by music. The detailed attention dedicated to the figures lends emphasis to the spectacular nature of a picturesque scene. The theatrical overstatement of central perspective draws the viewer into an imaginary space, among *comedia dell´arte* actors, gallant couples, servants and musicians. These types of *Schaustück* (eye-pleasing) pictures represented a popular trend in the decoration of reception interiors, absorbing the viewer in their relationship between reality and illusion, not only in composition but also in the metaphors intrinsic to the costumes and mysterious masks. The motifs encourage the idea of unity in all of the arts and draw attention to the relationship between artificial and natural spaces.  \nIn his masquerade pictures, Minderhout took up the tradition of morality scenes based on aristocratic society (banquets and gardens of love), probably inspired by the prints of Claude Gillot (1673–1722) featuring scenes from *comedia dell´arte,* and the work of Hendrick Govaerts (1669–1720) from Antwerp, active in Prague and Vienna in the period when theatre established itself as part of court life. *Comedia dell´arte*, originally considered a “low” genre, became very popular, inspiring a number of artists. The visual rendering of its scenes was essentially influenced by the Galli-Bibiena family, Vienna court decorators whose members and pupils worked for the Czech and Moravian nobility. Czech and Moravian aristocrats often went to performances in Vienna and cultivated theatre in their palaces.","short_description":"A decorative scene with fantastic architecture and a masquerade indicates that the canvas was part of an interior decoration. The picture merges the Flemish tradition with late-baroque Italian painting in a highly original manner.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"c. 1740","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 84 cm; w: 125 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia","method_for_datation":"The painting paraphrases pictures found in the Archiepiscopal Palace, Kroměříž. Willem Augustin Minderhout participated in the decoration of the palace halls under Cardinal Ferdinad Julius Troyer (1745–1758). The artist’s initials and the style of the painting place it as part of the relatively prolific work of this itinerant artist, frequently producing related pairs of pictures.","obtention":"The picture, origin unknown, was acquired in 1945.","bibliography":"Zora Wörgötter, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque 1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 111–113, cat. 16.  \nAndrea Rousová, *Tance a slavnosti*, Praha 2009, p., cat.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["architectural perspective","commedia dell'arte","costume","decoration","festival","illusion","music","scenography","Theatrical architecture"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"75ecd1ca-690e-54ec-ae5c-583c92e90430":{"name":"*Street Scene in Cairo*","description":"*Street Scene in Cairo* from the Austrian painter Alphons Mielich. Mielich specialized in Oriental scenes, which he sold to aristocratic Austrian tourists as mementos of their trips to Egypt.","type":"Painting","holder":"Vienna Museum","dates":"c. 1880","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"76c48506-d9b5-58bd-92bd-fbff17f0f18e":{"name":"*David with the Head of Goliath*","description":"This painting was probably part of the collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, and in fact there is a 1612 document making reference to the biblical subject, concerning the acquisition of a frame for the work.  \nThe picture is attributed to the Neapolitan Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, also known as Battistello, but over the centuries the inventories have attributed it to many different artists. Apart from one entry in 1650, where the canvas was ascribed to Giulio Romano, it has usually been attributed to Caravaggesque artists.  \nThe young David is central and isolated, holding the decapitated head of the giant, Goliath, which rests on a marble base decorated with floral motifs.  \nThe biblical hero stands out from the dark background, appearing in the foreground bathed in an almost violent light, in a relaxed pose, apparently detached from the bloody deed he has just committed. His crossed legs, austere but serene face, and feathered red hat, an ostentatious show of contemporaneousness: all of the details in the composition are constructed using a “masking” technique. Battistello uses a traditional dark preparation of the picture for the background and the shadows. The shapes are rendered using a few, mainly earth colours, with strong highlights for emphasis.  \nThe young Battistello was influenced by the style of Caravaggio, who, in 1607, fled Rome for Naples having been condemned to death. He expanded on the Lombard master's study of nature and light, something which is evident in the painting. His style evolved further after 1612 with his experience in Rome, which enabled him to see the paintings of Carracci and his followers. Later visits to Genoa and Florence also helped to mould his style.","short_description":"The Neapolitan painter was one of the greatest of Caravaggio's followers, and his powerful work was an important factor in making Naples a stronghold of the Caravaggesque style. In this painting David, wearing a red hat, triumphs beside the severed head of Goliath.  \nHis crossed legs, austere but serene face, and feathered red hat, an ostentatious show of contemporaneousness, contrast with the bloody aspect of the traditional iconography.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"1612","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 202 cm; w: 112 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.118, pp. 84–85.  \nStefani, C., *Galleria Borghese*, Milan, 2000, p. 90.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio","Christian themes","Neapolitan painters","Realism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"776becd1-b151-59c4-9e46-f120b2d7a354":{"name":"*The Nightmare of Zahhak*. Miniature from the *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"This Safavid folio once belonged to the so-called *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576). It is probably the most luxurious and celebrated Shahnama manuscript ever produced for a royal patron. This painting depicts the tyrant Zahhak as he wakes up terrified from a nightmare announcing his death by the hands of the Iranian hero Faridun. His scream has awakened the entire palace. The *Shahnama*, composed in the AH 5th century / AD early 11th century, remains a nation epic of Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 47.2cm, Width: 32.1cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Presented in 1568 by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman sultan Selim II (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576); Collection of Baron Edmund de Rothschild, 1903–1934; then by descent to Baron Maurice de Rothschild, 1934–1957; Arthur A. Houghton Jr, 1958–1977; Stuart Cary Welch Collection (on loan to Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1983–2007); sold to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Gonnella, Julia, et al., *Museum of Islamic Art: The Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2022.  \n  \nChekhab-Abudaya, Mounia and Tugwell, Julia, *Imperial Threads: Motifs and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2017.  \n  \nSoueif, Ahdaf, *Reflections on Islamic Art*, Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2011.  \n  \nWatson, Oliver, *Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar*, Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2008.","author":"Tara Desjardins","keywords":["court","Iran","Persian","Safavid"],"materials":["calligraphy","Gold","illustration","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"779c654a-aa90-53f1-a122-5dbb8e302070":{"name":"*Interior of a school, Cairo*","description":"In this scene depicted by Lewis, the Hoja or teacher is listening to his assistant rhythmically reciting the Quran (while beating time), as some children pay attention and others not. Some commentators have regarded the presence of a young girl as inauthentic, but young girls were able to attend Quran schools, according to the artist Charles de Tournemine, the scholar Edward Lane and the translator Richard Burton. Certainly not all women were illiterate, and some female descendants of the prophet were noted for their ability to read and recite the scriptures.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1865","location":"London","provenance":"United Kingdom","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"78bb25e6-fdd2-5c9d-af72-c30e121b175e":{"name":"Gushtasp puts Isfandiyar in chains  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Isfandiyar, eldest son and crown prince of the legendary Iranian king Gushtasp, was falsely accused of planning to seize his father’s kingdom. Not knowing the truth, his father ordered Isfandiyar chained and imprisoned in a mountain fortress. In a later battle with enemies, the king regretted his act and had Isfandiyar released so that he could provide military assistance. Gushtasp is portrayed here enthroned, wearing a blue robe. Blue was frequently used in Persian painting to signify key figures, particularly kings.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"32.8 x 23.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"7935012a-92f2-5749-a878-3506ddbb8dc4":{"name":"*The Temple of Venus*","alternate_name":"*Il tempio di Venere*","description":"Giuseppe Sciuti initially worked in his hometown as a decorator, then moved to Naples and Florence. In Florence, the artist works with the Macchiaioli painters upon subjects linked to the “Verismo”, or realist, movement, and while in Naples he worked on history paintings. In Rome he decorated public and private buildings with historical and allegorical themes, pagan rituals and scenes from the Greek and Roman tradition, highly valued by the international market. *The Temple of Venus* is an archeological reconstruction of a sacred interior showing an offering to the goddess Venus for the beginning of Spring. The painting is part of the group of works by the artist presented at the Exposition in Milan in 1871, Nice in 1884 and London in 1888.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1876","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"795bacd6-ac66-5eca-9599-838de1b288ee":{"name":"*Natürmort*","description":"The foundation of Turkish painting drawing influence from western tradition was laid when the Naval Academy opened in 1795. In the period of Selim II, painting lessons were given at the academy. And course attendees were sent abroad after to develop their painting techniques and skills. These painters, who were known as the soldier-painters, worked in Gerome’s, Cabanel’s and Boulanger’s workshops in Paris. Halil Paşa provided a unique distinction to the analysis of impressionist light and colour. Because of his qualified knowledge about anatomy and his interest in depicting the human figure, Halil Paşa has a unique place in Turkish Art History.","type":"Painting","holder":"Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting and Sculpture Museum","dates":"1920","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"79ec3799-6c99-5734-a810-73dca9b04725":{"name":"*Bildnis der ältesten drei Kinder Karls I. von England (Portrait of the eldest three children of King Charles I of England)*","description":"This painting depicts the three eldest children of King Charles I of England and his wife Henrietta Maria. The five-year-old Crown Prince Charles (Prince of Wales and later King Charles II) is on the left leaning against a pillar, imitating the pose of a court dignitary. Beside him, grasping his hand is his younger brother James (Duke of York and later King James II of Scotland). On the right stands the upright, demure figure of the four-year-old Princess Mary, the future wife of William of Orange. Van Dyck masterfully depicts the opulent costumes of the children posing, as befits a courtly portrait, in front of a pillar and a sumptuous curtain, standing on a valuable oriental carpet and framed by two dogs at their feet.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"c. 1635","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 131cm, Width: 151cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Dutch","obtention":"This painting was purchased for the Dresden collection by the art agent Le Leu in Paris in 1744.","bibliography":"Barnes, Susan J., et al. (eds), *Van Dyck. A complete Catalogue of the Paintings*, New Haven et al.: Yale University Press, 2004.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 382, vol. 2, p. 240, gallery n. 1033.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Meisterwerke aus Dresden zu Gast im Bucerius-Kunst-Forum Hamburg*, Bremen: Hauschild, 2002: 76–77.","workshop":"Workshop of Anton van Dyck (Antwerp 1599–1641 London)","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["carpet","painting","Representation"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"7b315354-8d00-5a9b-9462-8f8f378759d3":{"name":"Rustam Slaying the White Div","short_description":"The overall layout of this hanging is reminiscent of courtly manuscript illustrations with its figure-rich inner field and the border on which birds and game cavort in lush vegetation. The somewhat naïve style of the figures suggests that this embroidery in chain stitch technique must have been made at the beginning of the 20th century.  \n  \nThe central field depicts scenes from the life of Rustam, the most popular hero from Ferdausi’s national epic *Shahnama*, the Book of Kings. The scene in the lower third is the easiest to recognise. It shows Rustam slaying the White Div, the ruler of Mazandaran. Above this we probably see Rustam’s fight with Suhrab, one of the most tragic moments in the *Shahnama*. During the duel, Rustam slays the young man, who shows him a talisman as he dies and it is at that moment that Rustam realises that he has just killed his very own son. Meanwhile, the top scene shows an unspecified battle scene.  \n  \nWall hangings fulfilled many functions in Persian houses, be it as decoration for niches or as curtains. In this case, it is even conceivable that the hanging was used in one of the many coffee and tea houses, serving as a backdrop for professional storytellers to illustrate their stories.","type":"Hanging","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Fritz Hermann","dates":"Hegira early 14th century / AD late 19th-early 20th century","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 221cm, Width: 149cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works and due to visual characteristics of some of the colours.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift of Fritz Hermann","bibliography":"Nabholz-Kartaschof, Marie-Louise and Langer, Axel, *Pfauen, Blüten & Zypressen: Persische Textilien der Qajaren-Zeit (1788-1925)*, Zurich: Museum Rietberg, 2005: 90-91.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["cotton","mercerised cotton thread and embroidery (chainstitch)"]},"7b36747d-dca7-598b-b985-ad4799a191fe":{"name":"The Mother of God of the Burning Bush","description":"The Mother of God is shown in the center of this icon surrounded by rays of light that extend outward to form an eight-pointed star. Angels, archangels and symbols of the evangelists are pictured both in and around the star. This icon is a reference to a passage from the book of Exodus in which Moses saw the burning bush unconsumed by fire. Moses and other prophets are often interpreted as foretelling the coming of Christ while the unburnt bush serves as a symbolic representation of the Virgin Mary.  \nIn this icon, the four evangelists are represented by four winged figures. The angel represents Saint Matthew, the lion stands for Saint John, the ox symbolizes Saint Luke and the eagle is associated with Saint Mark. These symbols are based on the biblical interpretations of Saint Irenaeus (130-202).","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"1700s","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 92.4cm, Width: 77cm, Depth: 10cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum of Russian Icons from ArtVKG, New York City, in 2012.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"7b456f9b-750b-56db-a86f-8e36eccf0b62":{"name":"*Khusraw Hunting*, folio from *Khusraw and Shirin*","short_description":"This painting from a manuscript of *Khusraw and Shirin* by the poet Hatifi demonstrates the importance of Persian literature in the Ottoman world. The manuscript contains seven paintings, executed in a distinctive style related to western Iranian tradition from the Aq Quyunlu but also borrowing elements from European sources. This scene depicts Khusraw riding on his horse Shabdiz while hunting. A poem on the final page of the manuscript identifies the sole artist of the work, who completed the calligraphy, illumination, gilding, and painting, as Suzi (“the burning one”).","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 904 / AD 1498–99","location":"New York","dimensions":"Entire sheet: L: 24cm, W: 16.4cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul or Amasya, Turkey","obtention":"Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969  \nPoet: Written by Hatifi  \nArtist: Calligraphy and paintings by Suzi  \nVendor: Sotheby's, London  \nFormer owner: Osman Ata'ullah, Turkey  \nFormer owner: Sir Gregory O. Page-Turner, England (until 1827; his sale, March 1827, no. 190)  \nFormer owner: Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet, England (1827–d. 1872)  \nFormer owner: Bibliotheca Phillippica, England (1872–1968; its sale, Sotheby's, London)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin (ed), *Turkish Art*, Washington D.C/New York: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980: 161, ill. fig. 71 (b/w), fol. 22b.  \nBrend, Barbara, *Perspectives on Persian Painting. Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa*, New York: Routledge Curzon, 2003: 153.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 288–89, no. 200, ill. 289 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Reports of the Departments: Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 28/ 2 (1969): 79-81, ill. 79 (b/w), folio 22r.  \nGrube, Ernst J., *Studies in Islamic Painting*, London: Pindar Press, 1995: 460, ill. fig. 11 (b/w).  \nPetsopoulos, Yanni (ed), *Tulips, Arabesques & Turbans. Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire*, New York: Abbeville Press, 1982: no. 195, 199, ill. pl. 195 (colour), folio 22r.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975: 133, ill. (b/w).  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/ 2 (Autumn 1978): 46–47, ill. 46–47 (colour), folios 15r and 22r.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 117, ill. fig. 87 (colour).  \nYoltar-Yildirim, Aysin and Brill, Robert H., \"A 1498–99 Khusraw va Shirin: Turning the Pages of an Ottoman Illustrated Manuscript\", *Muqarnas*, 22 (2005): 96–109, ill. figs. 1–12, folio 1v fig. 4; 2r fig. 5; 2v fig. 6; 15v fig. 8; 22v fig. 9; 32r fig. 10; 49v fig. 11; 67v fig. 12; 78r fig 7 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969","keywords":["Anatolia","Asmaya","binding","Figurative representation","gold","human figure","human representation","hunting scene","Illustration","ink","inscription","Istanbul","Khusrau","leather","leather binding","lion","literature","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","nasta'liq","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","painting","Paper","Persian literature","Shirin","Turkey"],"materials":["and gold on paper","binding: leather","Main support: ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"7b607aac-e5db-517f-aaf5-04ce4eb5e62c":{"name":"*Project for a Garden or Park*","alternate_name":"*Proyecto para un jardín o parque*","description":"This project for a park with fountain, covered, possibly, with tiles decorated in Neo-Mudéjar style. The development of urban design was an important subject from the mid-19th century onwards. The Neo-Mudéjar style was selected by the architects for important buildings such as theatres or bull rings or urban spaces as the International exhibition of Barcelona 1888. One of the characteristics of this style is use of brick and tile decoration in the buildings’ interiors and façades.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","dates":"End of the 19th century","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Madrid (?), Segovia (?)","author":"Ana Cabrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"7bd0767f-b448-56ce-8a8e-6180b326ce87":{"name":"\"Alexander is Lowered into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"The Khamsa of the Indian poet Amir Khusrau includes a section on the philosopher-king Alexander the Great, who in Khusrau’s telling of his life led expeditions to China, Russia, and the Western Isles. In this copy of the Khamsa made for the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Alexander is shown being lowered into the sea in a glass diving bell. While underwater, he will receive a visit from an angel who foretells his death.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597–8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 23.82cm, Width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446561","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Main support: ink","watercolour"]},"7c825e0b-6d52-58ef-9ec0-9dab6a28d4e6":{"name":"*Sacrifice of Abraham*","alternate_name":"*The Sacrifice of Isaac*","description":"This relatively large, upright rectangular painting depicts Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac as told in the Old Testament story (Genesis 22: 1–19). Omitting the narrative details of the story, the painter shows the moment Abraham is stopped by an angel just as he is about to carry out the divine command to sacrifice his own son, Isaac.  \nThe prevailing deep, dusky and dark palette along with dense shadows contrast with the lit masses, the dynamic distribution of which reflect the dramatic charge of the moment. The illuminated accents concentrate attention on the diagonally placed body of the victim, Isaac, while Abraham's elderly, worn-out face reveals his inner turmoil and the difficulty he faced in making the decision. The divine intervention of the angel breaks into the composition from the left, in a foreshortened diagonal of the opposite course.  \nThe picture is one of four works by Benković that Count Franz Lothar von Schönborn, Elector and Archbishop of Mainz and Prince Bishop of Bamberg, commissioned in 1715 while he was refurbishing the family castle in Pommersfelden. A print by Salomon Kleiner of 1728 shows the interior of Castle Schönborn following its re-arrangement of 1715, which is useful to reconstruct the order of the paintings. On the window wall of the middle room were Benković's *Sacrifice of Abraham* and *Hagar and Ishmael*, and on the ceiling the *Sacrifice of Iphigeneia* and *Apollo and Marsius*. Two paintings – *Hagar and Ishmael* and *Iphigeneia* – are on display in Castle Schönborn to this day, but the French military removed *Apollo and Marsius* and the *Sacrifice of Abraham* from the castle in 1801. The *Sacrifice of Abraham* allegedly turned up in a private collection in Rome in 1868, and then in London in 1936; the Association of Friends of the Strossmayer Gallery bought it in 1936.","short_description":"*Sacrifice of Abraham* is one of four compositions commissioned by Federico Benković for the Schönborn family's castle in Pommersfelden. The painter achieves dramatic tension by depicting the very moment at which an angel stops Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac, as told in the Old Testament story.","type":"Painting","holder":"Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters","initial_owner":"Lothar Franz von Schönborn (1655–1729), Elector and Archbishop of Mainz and Prince-Bishop of Bamberg","dates":"1715","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 220 cm; w: 163 cm","place_of_production":"Venice","method_for_datation":"Identification of the Zagreb painting was based on written (the inventory of the castle of the Schönborn family in Pommersfelden) and pictorial sources (a print of the interior of Castle Schönborn in Pommersfelden, 1728).","obtention":"The Association of Friends of the Strossmayer Gallery bought the picture in 1936 in London. In 1868, it was allegedly part of a private collection in Rome, and in 1801, the French government requisitioned the painting in the Schönborn family’s castle in Pommersfelden.","bibliography":"Krückmann, P. O., *Federico Bencovich 1677–1753*, Hildesheim, Zürich-New York, 1988.  \nBrajder, A., “Tragom Benkovićevih slika u dvorcu Pommersfeldenu”, *Peristil* 34, 1991, pp. 85–90.  \nVandura, D., “Benkovićev Abraham i Kleinerov Pommersfelden”, *Prilozi povijesti umjetnosti u Dalmaciji* 34, 1994, pp. 259–268.  \nTomić, R., “Federiko Benković. Abraham's Sacrifice”, *The Croats. Christianity, Culture, Art* (eds. V. Marković and A. Badurina), Zagreb, 1999, pp. 522–523.  \nPrijatelj, K. and Prijatelj Pavičić, I., “Slikarstvo u Dalmaciji u europskome kontekstu”, *Hrvatska i Europa* (ed. I. Supičić), vol. III: *Barok i prosvjetiteljstvo* (ed. I. Golub), Zagreb, 2003, pp. 675–688.","workshop":"“Neotenebrous” Venetian *Settecento* painting","author":"Ljerka Dulibić","copy_editor":"Graham McMaster","translator":"Graham McMaster","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Italian Baroque painting","Settecento"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"7d1dabeb-3a46-50a1-8a1e-90fa8b90fffa":{"name":"*The Vision of Saints Augustine and Norbert*","description":"The structure of the picture is based on the contrast between an intricately segmented, sacred architectural space and a figurative group within it. While the artist represented the architecture with a scale of subtly harmonised and graded neutral tones accentuated by light falling from the left, the figures are rendered in rich tones of red, blue, gold and dark green. St. Augustine, surrounded by the founders of orders observing his rules, is additionally illuminated by the light of God's eye, penetrating the Host (monstrance) carried by an angel. The Host is being worshipped by St. Norbert, founder of the Premonstratensian order. The monstrance is also an attribute of St. Norbert. A *putto* points to a burning heart an attribute of St. Augustine. An angel on the left aims bolts of anger at heretics.  \nThis small format picture, appearing as an autonomous piece rather than a *modello*, is among the leading works of Winterhalder Jr., a student, assistant and follower of F. A. Maulbertsch, whose motifs from Klosterneuburg appear in the picture. The theatrical architecture is derived from stage designs by the Galli-Bibiena family in Bologna, also active in Vienna and known from prints. The dating indicates that Winterhalder painted the picture after a period of collaboration with Maulbertsch in Dyje. The presence of major Premonstratensian saints places the work among paintings for the Louka u Znojma Monastery. The illusionary architecture bears witness to the decorative skills that flourished towards the end of Winterhalder's career.  \nJosef Winterhalder Jr. was born in Schwarzwald. He came to Moravia with his uncle, a sculptor. He was first apprenticed to J. Stern in Brno and later to F. A. Maulbertsch. He frequently collaborated with A. Schweigl, with whom he coined a specific style for a number of Moravian chateau and church interiors. Winterhalder Jr. wrote a book on South Moravian artists which also contained his autobiography.","short_description":"The structure of the picture is based on the contrast between an intricately segmented, sacred architectural space and a figurative group within it. Winterhalder Jr. was a student, assistant and follower of F. A. Maulbertsch. The illusionary architecture is derived from the stage designs of the Galli-Bibiena family in Bologna.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","initial_owner":"Private owner, Židlochovice","dates":"1778","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 79.4 cm; w: 47 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia","method_for_datation":"Marked bottom left: *Winterhalder Pinx 1778.*","provenance":"Čechy pod Kosířem Chateau","obtention":"The picture comes from the property of a parish priest in Židlochovice, near Brno. Until 1945 it was in the Čechy po Kosířem Chateau, the property of Count Silva-Taroucca, a major art collector and benefactor of the Brno Picture Gallery.","bibliography":"Johann Jakob Heinrich Czikann, “Joseph Winterhalder”, in Johann Georg Meusel (ed), *Archiv für Künstler und Kunstfreunde* *II*, 4, Dresden, 1808, pp. 70–75.  \nKlára Garas, “Joseph Winterhalder (1743–1807)”, *Bulletin du Musée national hongrois des beaux-arts* 14, 1959, p. 89.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in *Franz Anton Maulbertsch. Ausstellung anlässlich seines 250. Geburtstages,* Wien–Halbturn–­­Heiligenkreuz–Gutenbrunn, 1974, pp. 182–183.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque* *1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 241–242, cat. 88.  \nZora Wörgötter, in Zora Wörgötter – Eduard Hindelang (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und sein Umkreis in Mähren. Ausgewählte Werke aus tschechischen Sammlungen. Ausstellungsführer*, Langenargen, 2006, p. 38, cat. 18.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Attribute","Christian themes","heresy","Host","monstrance","religious object","symbolism","Theatrical architecture"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"7dbe5f26-102f-5a9b-a9c9-3dbff17febde":{"name":"\"The Clever Hare with the King of the Elephants at the Spring of the Moon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. *Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript.* Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In *The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna.*, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453119","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"7fee46c7-2496-508c-978f-4c40ead375bd":{"name":"*Fama*","short_description":"This stained glass represents a winged female figure, blowing a trumpet held in her right hand. In her other hand, she holds a ribbon with the inscription “FAMA”. She is dressed in a golden robe and a blue-white cloak. Her wings are multicoloured. The figure is set in a landscape consisting of various plants, flower, trees and hills.  \n  \nThe inscription identifies the figure as Fama, the personification of renown and rumor. As a figure from Roman mythology, she is described by Virgil in the “Aeneid” as a winged creature, covered in feathers all over her body and with multiple tongues, mouths and ears. She spreads evil tidings, not resting even at night. The 14th-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote that Fama announces renown, fame or notability (positive attributes) from a trumpet of gold and scandalous rumor and gossip (negative attributes) from a trumpet of black tin. The glass painting therefore shows Fama’s positive side, which does not appear fearsome or evil.  \n  \nStylistic elements substantiate an attribution to the Swedish-born Carl Almquist, who spent almost his entire artistic life in England. Some of the details in the stained glass windows of the small church of Betws Bledrws in the county of Ceredigion, Wales (1886–87) exhibit an affinity with Fama, suggesting a proximate dating. Almquist’s stained glass paintings of this time demonstrate the influence of the pre-Raphaelite circle around Edward Burne-Jones; the impact of the English Arts and Crafts movement is also apparent.","type":"Stained glass; pictorial panel","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","dates":"Around 1885–90","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 110cm, Width: 110cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic analysis","provenance":"United Kingdom, Lancaster","obtention":"Donated by the Society of Friends of the Vitromusée Romont in 2001","bibliography":"Cormack, Peter, *Arts & Crafts Stained Glass*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015.  \nKauffmann, Hans, “Fama”, in Otto Schmitt (ed), *Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte*, vol. 6, Stuttgart: Metzler, 1973: 1425–1445.  \nWilson, Sue, *Aspects of Lancaster: Discovering Local History*, Barnsley/South Yorkshire: Wharncliffe Books, 2002: 46.","workshop":"Shrigley & Hunt (Lancaster, United Kingdom)","author":"Christina Snopko","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["Britain","Coloured glass","decorative arts","Figurative representation","floral motifs","human representation","Painted glass"],"materials":["leading","painted with grisaille and silver stain","Transparent and stained glass"]},"81962cf6-88f1-5463-ae37-6690ad61ec3d":{"name":"*Annunciation*","description":"The scene takes place in a domestic interior. The composition, based on a neo-Renaissance perspective shows a nearly archaic poverty. The scene opens outward allowing the viewer to feel directly involved in the event. The employment of three different sources of light is very original: the main light source illuminates the figures coming from the foreground. A light is emanating from a dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit shines from above. A third beam of light shines from a side door. Far from the spectacular luminosity of Tintoretto, this painting employs a poor, nearly severe palette anticipating a naturalism of feeling and research on the human form. It is a careful representation of life typical of the early Baroque period as depicted by artists such as Caravaggio. Keeping in contact with Raphael and Correggio's noble classicism, Ludovico Carracci portrays life in a quotidian tone with a humble, direct and moving religiosity. This seems to reflect the spirit that a great interpreter of the Catholic Reformation, Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti, Archbishop of Bologna from 1566, applied to the visual arts, in his book *Sacred and Profane Images*, published in 1582. The altarpiece stood on a predella, painted by Camillo Procaccini before his departure for Milan (1585–86), which was lost during the Second World War.","short_description":"A symbol of the early Counter-reformation in Bologna (more appropriately of the Catholic Reformation) because of its authentic and direct religious feeling. Based on its humble naturalism and its original experiments with light it is one of the paintings from Lombardy and northern Italy which led to the style of Caravaggio.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pinacoteca Nazionale","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Brotherhood of the Holy Sacrament","dates":"1584","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"182,5 x 221 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The date 1584, hypothesized by the critics on stylistic basis, has been recently confirmed by historical documents about the building of the oratory where the painting was held (Feigenbaum 1990).","provenance":"Church of San Giorgio in Poggiale (Bologna), Oratory of the Holy Sacrament","obtention":"Commissioned by Giulio Cesare Guerini, a member of the Company of the Holy Sacrament, the painting became property of the Italian Government in 1866. The painting was taken back to the church of San Giorgio in Poggiale.  It was moved to the Pinacoteca shortly before the beginning of Second World War and it is still on show in this museum.","bibliography":"Arcangeli, F. *Natura ed espressione nell'arte bolognese-emiliana* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. F. Arcangeli), Bologna, 1970, p. 42, p. 188.  \n*Ludovico Carracci* (ed. A. Emiliani),  Bologna, 1993, pp. XLVIII-XLIX .  \nFeigenbaum, G. “The early history of Lodovico Carracci's 'Annunciation' altarpiece”, *The Burlington Magazine* 132, 1990, pp. 616-622.  \nBrogi, A. *Ludovico Carracci (1555 - 1619),* Ozzano Emilia (Bo), 2001.  \nBrogi, A. in *Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna.* *Catalogo generale* (eds. J. Bentini, G. P. Cammarota and D. Scaglietti Kelescian), II, *Da Raffaello ai Carracci*, Venice, 2004, pp. 221-23.","workshop":"Counter-reformation, Classicism, Naturalism, Early baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Carla Bernardini","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Catholic Reformation","classicism","Counter-Reformation","naturalism","Sacred art"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"82377c81-2aca-5c1e-8a4c-f15d8d08fec5":{"name":"*Armed Guard of a House*","description":"Painting by Eduard Charlemont showing an Egyptian guard in front of a door. Charlemont graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and travelled widely. He specialized in painting in the Oriental style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Vienna Museum","dates":"c. 1890","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"82540953-196e-5dad-808a-f0bd9b908d16":{"name":"*The Royal Palaces of Seville*","alternate_name":"*Los Reales Alcázares de Sevilla*","description":"In this case the author lived in Seville and he knew very well the place. The scene is also historicist because the figures are dressed in a Renaissance style. Some of the decorations in the arch were invented by the artist.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanticism","dates":"1850–1865","location":"Madrid","author":"Carolina Miguel Arroyo","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8267bfa4-2166-51d7-8e12-263939dcfc97":{"name":"Calligraphic Galleon","description":"The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities.","type":"Calligram","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Ciancimino & Co, London, until ca. 1965];[Francesca Galloway, London, until 2003]","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766–67","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 48.3 cm, width: 43.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 2003","bibliography":"Blair, S.S., *Islamic Calligraphy.*, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nLeoni, F., \"Islamic Art and the Supernatural.\" In *Power and Protection.*, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University, 2016.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"The Decorated Word: Writing and Picturing in Islamic Calligraphy.\" in *The Burlington Magazine*, vol. 161 (October 2019).  \n  \nDalal, R., S. Roberts, and J. Sokoly, ed., *The Seas and the Mobility of Islamic Art.*,New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611","materials":["ink and gold on paper"]},"8288d335-c4ea-550c-8988-3466de55dd87":{"name":"*Madonna in Glory with the Patron Saints of Bologna*","alternate_name":"*The Plague Altarpiece*","description":"This painting was commissioned by the Government of Bologna to thank the Virgin of the Rosary after the end of the plague in 1630. Originally it was used as a standard and carried in an annual procession, commemorating the end of the epidemic. The procession moved from the Palazzo Comunale to the church of St. Dominic and once there the standard was exhibited in the church for three days.  \nThe great painting follows a strict order. In the middle of the painting are the patron saints of Bologna, Petronius, Dominic, Proculus and Florian with two Jesuits saints, Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, gathered around Saint Francis. All the saints look thankfully in the direction of the Virgin. The greyish shade of the sky is broken by a rainbow introducing the Madonna, calm and regal, lit by the only warm beam of light in the whole painting. In the lower part the town of Bologna looks desolately grey, depopulated by the plague, with no shades and half tones, the only signs of life are the small figures of the “monatti” collecting the dead bodies.  \nThe patron saints and the two Jesuits saints are a significant iconographical change, usually the plague was associated with St. Roch and St. Sebastian: the first one because he had plague himself and the second one because the arrows in his body were compared to the plague wounds. The altarpiece has a strong votive meaning, it shows how the people of Bologna had committed themselves to the Virgin and the patron saints and how grateful they were to be alive.","short_description":"This is one of the most famous votive pictures of Seventeenth-century Italian painting. It is a model from which many figures have been copied and rearranged. Technically, it represents a new experiment by the painter. Reni painted on silk, a stronger and more durable material. The shining silk pervades the whole painting with silver luminosity.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pinacoteca Nazionale","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Municipality of Bologna","dates":"1630","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"382 x 242 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Documents.","provenance":"Palazzo Comunale","obtention":"Moved to the Pinacoteca from the Palazzo Comunale in the Napoleonic age.","bibliography":"Mazza, A. in *Guido Reni* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. E. Emiliani), Bologna, 1988, pp. 136 –138.  \nPepper, D.S. in *Guido Reni* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. E.Emiliani), Bologna, 1988, p. 30.  \n*Guido Reni* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. E. Emiliani), Bologna, 1988.  \nPepper, D.S. *Guido Reni,* Novara, 1988.  \nSpear, R. *The Divine Guido, Religion, Sex, Money and Art in the world of Guido Reni*, New Haven, 1997.","workshop":"Baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Emanuela Fiori","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["devotional painting","Jesuit","Madonna of the Rosary","plague","Procession","Religious/liturgical painting","Rosary","St. Dominic","St. Florian","St. Francis","St. Francis Xavier","St. Ignatius of Loyola","St. Petronius","St. Proculus","Standard"],"materials":["Oil on silk"]},"8416e828-5b8b-5b06-93d0-9f518e17c49a":{"name":"The Emigrants","alternate_name":"*Gli emigranti*","description":"Angelo Tommasi is a naturalistic painter, influenced by Courbet’s realism, and he played an active role spreading the technique employed by the Macchiaioli. The monumental painting *The Emigrants* shows a common situation in Italy after the unification process. The dramatic theme of overseas emigration is vividly depicted by the packed crowds at the Port of Livorno, of people who have resigned themselves to their fate and the expectation of embarkation. The painting's extraordinary dimensions contribute to an illustration of the theme of Italian emigration on an almost epic scale.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1896","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8479540f-abb9-5d15-8711-1c88a40879dc":{"name":"A resting lion","short_description":"This single-page drawing depicts a resting lion seemingly squeezed between two golden-lined and gold-flecked borders. Positioned beneath the Chinese clouds and directly in front of the lion (as if being exhaled from the lion’s open mouth), an inscription dates the drawing. Illuminated borders, probably later additions, flank the lion; featuring white-backgrounded cartouches with golden inscriptions, they are presumably taken from a clutch of cartouches. [1] A Resting Lion is attributed to artist Mu’in Musavvir, who was famous for his draftsmanship and for showing acute attention to detail in his drawings of animals. Trained by Reza-e ‘Abbasi, Mu’in Musavvir had a long career and carried Reza-e ‘Abbasi’s artistic ideas and new styles into the 18th century. Drawing wild and exotic animals was in no way unusual at that time, since Safavid rulers showed great interest in them. [2]","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"14 Shawwal 1082 (February 13, 1672)","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"14.1 x 22.5cm","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] The right cartouche: dar nasihat guyad; the left cartouche: dar tadbir daf’-i a’dâ (He gave the counsel: The repulse of enemies lies in consideration / contrivance).  \n\\[2\\] Farhad, Massumeh, “An Artist’s Impression: Mu‘in Musavvir’s ‘Tiger Attacking a Youth,’” *Muqarnas*, 9 (1992): 116–23. ISBN: 978-90-04-09625-7: 118.  \n  \nFarhad, Massumeh, “An Artist’s Impression: Mu‘in Musavvir’s ‘Tiger Attacking a Youth,’” *Muqarnas*, 9 (1992): 116–23. ISBN: 978-90-04-09625-7.","keywords":["animals","drawing","folio","illuminated","illumination","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"8485bf89-aab8-53ff-a59e-03b0ed9c4935":{"name":"The Last Judgment","description":"The Last Judgment is a common topic in Christian art. It combines biblical and apocryphal stories into a unified account of the end of times, of Christ coming to judge the world and of the afterlife. Typically, Russian Orthodox icons that depict the Last Judgment show Christ enthroned with a scale and an open Gospel. He is often flanked by the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist, who intercede for humankind. Adam and Eve are frequently seen kneeling at Christ’s feet. In Russian Orthodox iconography, the “serpent of suffering” is often depicted as well. Originally, the serpent was viewed as the instigator of original sin, seducer of Adam and Eve and the embodiment of evil. In this icon, 20 sins are depicted along the body of the snake in order of severity. They are as follows: (1) lying, (2) greed, (3) tale-telling, (4) idle talk, (5) anger, (6) blasphemy, (7) gluttony, (8) drunkenness, (9) slander, (10) foul language, (11) adultery, (12) fornication, (13) rape, (14) vanity, (15) money-mongering, (16) self-love, (17) despair, (18) murder, (19) self-glorification and (20) pride.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1650","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 155cm, Width: 122cm, Depth: 7cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2006. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Biblical stories","Jesus Christ","Religious iconography"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"84a2af32-23c5-5782-9961-db81e133a30a":{"name":"\"The Hare, the Lion, and the Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453088","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"84f5327f-428b-5355-b4b7-9d4e62a12ef9":{"name":"*Bashi Bazouk*","description":"This colourful watercolour, executed by the Istanbul-based, Maltese painter V. A. Preziosi, shows a Bashi Bazouk, a member of the irregular forces of the Ottoman army that came into use in the late 18th century. The bashi bazouk were mercenaries of great ethnic diversity, often from the Balkans, who fought for the Ottomans in hope of plunder, as they were not paid. An attempt by Husrev Pasha in Egypt to disband his Albanian bashi bazouks in favor of his regular forces began the rioting which led to the establishment of Muhammad Ali's rule. The bashi bazouk did not wear regular uniforms. In this case, the flamboyant character depicted here with his formidable moustache wears an astonishing array of clothing: a towering turban with tassles, an embroidered shirt and waistcoat with large open sleeves, a voluminous waistband and trousers. The outfit is finished off by elaborate footwear. A large yatagan dagger is secured in the waistband across the soldier's front, a gun slung across his chest.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"1855","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"84f69ff8-6c1a-5173-a0c7-4b706dba6ef1":{"name":"Arabian Fantasy","alternate_name":"*Fantasia araba*","description":"Stefano Ussi lived between Florence and Rome, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence and then enrolled as a volunteer in the first Italian War of Independence, during which he was taken prisoner by the Austrian troops. He developed a model of historic painting characterized by a quick application of layers (almost a rough draft) and by a sharp chiaroscuro. In 1875 he followed a diplomatic delegation to Morocco, in which the painter Biseo and the writer De Amicis also took part. The Arabian Fantasy documents the \"Lab-el-barode\", a game with the dust played in honor of the Italian delegation. This episode was masterly described by the writer Edmondo De Amicis.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1911","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"854b0143-ae03-59b2-a467-18c4378eee8e":{"name":"*Kahveci başı*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc. Chief of the coffee-makers whose task it was to make coffee for the Sultan.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"85859ee1-f41f-5403-935b-5caa9c428488":{"name":"Young men carried off by a Simurgh  \nPossibly from a dispersed *Khamseh* (quintet) of Amir Khusrow (d. 1325)","short_description":"A young man grips the feet of an enormous technicolour simurgh flying above choppy waters filled with giant turtles, fish and a crocodile which looks like a makara, the mythical sea creature with magic powers. This painting may depict the story by Bahram Gur’s Indian princess wife in the *Haft Paykar* of the Persian poet, Nizami. King Bahram Gur had seven wives who told him tales from their separate, coloured pavilions each day of the week. In the Indian princess’s story, the hero is dramatically rescued by holding onto the feet of a simurgh who brings him to a paradise-like land. Anthony Welch notes that the two figures in the beak of the simurgh may be the artist’s personal addition to the story (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 170). In any case the theme fits the Indian interest in adventure-romances featuring heroes who travel through (or above) strange lands and seas, as in Akbar’s Hamzanama. The painting has been attributed to Basawan, Akbar’s outstanding painter known for his sensitive observations, lush landscapes and use of perspective (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 170). In about 1635 CE the painting was mounted onto an album page decorated with magnificent gold-outlined flower paintings by the anonymous ‘Master of the Borders’ and bound in an album for Shah Jahan, Akbar’s grandson. The reverse of this page contains an Arabic prayer with Qur'anic expressions in black *nasta‘liq* script signed by Muhammad Husayn (d. 1020 H/1611-12 CE), the master calligrapher who was honoured by Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE) with the title, ‘Zarin Qalam’ (Golden Pen). There is a portrait of Muhammad Husayn as a teacher painted by Basawan’s son, the luminary Mughal painter Manohar. It must be one of Manohar’s earliest portraits since the artist included himself as a pupil in the composition and he looks to be no more than fifteen years old (Royal Asiatic Society; see Welch 1979, p. 179).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1590","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.6 x 25.1cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.  \nWelch, Anthony, *Calligraphy in the Arts of the Muslim World*, New York: The Asia Society and the University of Texas Press, 1979. ISBN: 9780292738188.","keywords":["Album","animal","figure","folio","human-figure","Simurgh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"85c59150-e031-57be-b9c0-d8ea356538dc":{"name":"*The Renaissance*","description":"This painting is inspired by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said's effort to build a mosque in even the most remote villages in Oman as part of an architectural revitalisation program that sought to preserve old buildings while adding new civic structures. In this artwork, the mosque stands amid traditional architecture while the tree trunks and water symbolise the revival of a once-barren land.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 1415–16 / AD 1995","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 109cm, width: 69cm","provenance":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019)","obtention":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019).","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"85fb094d-1ff0-508b-bb75-cfcae0c77625":{"name":"Painting.","description":"The painting shows a topographical view of Mecca with the Great Mosque in the centre surrounded by the houses of the city and the hills of the Meccan neighbourhood. In the middle of the large open court of the Mosque stands the nearly cubic, black veiled building of the Ka'ba, the holiest sanctuary of Islam. The simple structure of the Ka'ba has been little modified throughout the centuries although the building has been restored, in contrast to the Great Mosque which has been reconstructed several times. The painting depicts a view of it after the Ottoman rebuilding period of the AH 10th century / AD 16th century. Inspired by the imperial architecture of Istanbul, arcades with small domes arranged in a line surround the court on either side and the seven minarets were provided with two or three balconies. The painter has tried to show a town-planning measure of the Ottomans. The old Meccan districts were densely inhabited and the houses reached the exterior walls of the Great Mosque. It was decided to tear down houses that immediately bordered the walls in order to create a large area of open space before the Mosque and its façade, as was the rule within the mosque complexes in Istanbul, Bursa or Edirne.  \nRepresentations of Mecca and the Ka'ba illustrate itineraries used by pilgrims for orientation during the *hajj* or appear on tiles and tile panels of the second half of the AH 11th / AD 17th century to the first half of the AH 12th / AD 18th century. They show detailed descriptions of the function of the different buildings. The dome in front of the Ka'ba on the left side of the *minbar* (pulpit), for example, covers the footprints of Abraham. The open building beside it houses the *Zamzam* well whose water the pilgrims drank and took home. The choice of the represented buildings, their arrangement and their execution resemble those of copperplate engravings in European descriptions of Mecca more than depictions of the same scene in contemporary prayer books or on the tiles mentioned above.","short_description":"Painting showing a topographical view of the city of Mecca with the Great Mosque in the centre surrounded by houses. In the middle of the large open courtyard is the black veiled building of the Ka’ba.","type":"Oil on canvas, painted","holder":"Uppsala University Library.","dates":"Hegira early 12th century / AD early 18th century.","location":"Uppsala","dimensions":"Height 84.5 cm, width 111.2 cm (without frame).","method_for_datation":"The painting was acquired by the theologian and orientalist Michael Eneman (1676–1714), probably in Istanbul, where he was sent by the Swedish King Charles XII (1682–1718) as his envoy in 1709. After a journey through Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Egypt and Cyprus in 1711 and 1712 he came back once more to Istanbul before he returned to Sweden. It is assumed that the painting is a contemporary work because representations of Mecca and Medina were common at that time.","method_for_provenance":"The painting was purchased by the theologian and orientalist Michael Eneman during his stay in Turkey, probably in Istanbul, at the beginning of the 12th / 18th century. At that time, representations of Mecca and Medina were a common subject of Ottoman painting not only in oil but also on tiles or as illustrations of pilgrim and prayer books.","provenance":"Possibly Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Purchased by Uppsala University Library in 1717.","bibliography":"Ådahl, K., “View of Mecca and the Ka'ba”, in *Uppsala University Art Collections*, Uppsala University, 2001, pp.256–7.  \nErdmann, K., “Note. Ka'bah-Fliesen”, *Ars Orientalis* III, 1959, 192–7.  \nFaroqhi, S.,*Herrscher über Mekka: Die Geschichte der Pilgerfahrt*, Düsseldorf; Zürich, 2000.  \nGren, E., “Bidrag till Michael Enemans Biografi Studier och Bokförvärv”, *Donum Grapeanum*, 1945, pp.445–94.  \nMostafa, M., *Islamische Keramik*, Cairo, 1956, figs. 94, 95.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["figurative decoration","pilgrimage"],"materials":["Oil on canvas","painted."]},"86b3e2e2-6141-5567-8390-ebba3dc04e2a":{"name":"*St. Augustine*","alternate_name":"*St. Augustine Stepping On the Head of Heresy*","description":"*St. Augustine* furnished the entrance of the *Nossa Senhora* *da* *Graça* Convent in Lisbon ruled by the order of St. Augustine. Built around 1271, important reforms of 1565 followed by others in the 17th and 18th centuries, transformed the convent into one of the most sumptuous in Lisbon. After the earthquake of 1755 the convent collapsed and was rebuilt. The grand Italianate late Baroque painting, *St. Augustine**,* was probably a gift from King José I to the friars, given that Lusitano was the king's first official court painter.  \nThe Saint, dressed in Episcopal robes, is writing while he steps on the head of Heresy*.* At his side a *putto* encourages some dogs to attack Heresy while another, in the lower part of the painting, is burning heretic books. An allegorical figure of The Church sits at the upper left-hand side as, rendered in dark ochre, it emerges statue-like out of the shadow. On the right-hand side a classical building in daylight sweeps into the background. Behind St. Augustine are ruined monumental columns. The realism, upheld by the depth of the landscape, contrasts with the crowded, chaotic interior of the St. Augustine's *scriptorium*.  \nThe painting, signed and dated by Vieira Lusitano, emphasises his nomination as *accademico di merito*, an honour bestowed on him in 1727 by the St. Lucas Academy in Rome. No other Portuguese artist had previously received this honour. Lusitano was influenced by Roman, late Baroque and Rococo art; his teachers included Benedetto Lutti (1666–1724) and Francesco Trevisani (1656–1746), a disciple of Carlo Maratta (1625–1713).  \n*St. Augustine**,* a large-scale geometric composition with calculated asymmetry and movement, has theatrical appeal. Its characters are set among solid architectural components and a naturalistic background. The *putti,* characteristics from the Roman tradition, enable the artist to play with symbolic elements while the sumptuous use of colour: ochre, red, various blues and white; the flesh tones and gold and silver details in the bishop's robes, is also notable. Vieira Lusitano had many sophisticated patrons. He often made use of allegory to introduce complex ideas into the works he was commissioned to paint.","short_description":"A late Baroque masterpiece influenced by Roman Painting. The scene, a contrast between the crowded, chaotic *scriptorium* of St. Augustine and the open classical cityscape, celebrates the author, bishop and Father of the Church St. Augustine stepping on the head of Heresy.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","owner":"Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga","initial_owner":"Convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça, Lisbon","dates":"1763","location":"Lisbon, Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 325 cm; w: 211 cm","place_of_production":"Lisbon","method_for_datation":"Francisco Vieira Lusitano has signed and dated the picture.","provenance":"Convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça, Lisbon","obtention":"The convent and the order of St Augustine were extinguished and their assets confiscated by the Portuguese state in 1834. This painting was included among the objects that were confiscated and taken to the Fine Arts Academy Museum in Lisbon. When the museum closed, the collection transferred to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Alvor Palace, Lisbon.","bibliography":"Machado, C., *Colecção de Memórias*, Lisbon, 1823.  \nSaldanha, N., *Joanni V Magnifico*, exhibition catalogue, Lisbon, 1994.  \nArruda, L., *Francisco Vieira Lusitano (1699–1783), O desenho*, Lisbon, 2000.  \nDelaforce, A., *Art and Patronage in 18th-Century Portugal*, Cambridge, 2002.","workshop":"Late Baroque/Rococo","copyright":"Copyright image: Divisão de Documentação Fotográfica/ Instituto dos  Museus e da Conservação,I.P.","author":"Luisa Arruda","translator":"Luisa Arruda","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","heresy","Late Baroque","painting","Rococo","St. Augustine"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"86d80b99-bfa0-554b-a10c-63e31c9639bb":{"name":"*Death of St. Joseph*","description":"St. Joseph, the patron saint of a happy death and of Austria, became a principal subject of altarpieces around 1700. Many 18th-century artists embraced the subject, for instance Carlo Maratta in 1676, and it was adopted in around 1730 by Francesco Solimena, Giambattista Pittoni, Giambattista Piazzetta and Francesco Trevisani (Rome, S. Ignazio). Trevisani's work became a template for a number of pictures around the theme of St. Joseph, including Paul Troger's *Death of St. Joseph*. Korompay's Christ is very close to Troger's figure of Christ in the painting mentioned, especially in his mirror-image gesture. While in Troger's picture (and in the majority of the examples given) St. Joseph is lying on a bed, Korompay depicts him kneeling, supported by an angel. The motif was probably not the artist's own; he might have come across it in a reproduction print of an artwork from the Italian *Settecento*, a period that favoured motifs of drooping figures – whether they were saints or Christ himself – supported by angels. Pittoni employed this relationship between two figures in his *Ecstasy of St. Theresa*, Ricci in *Landscape with St. Mary Magdalene and an Angel*, and Trevisani in *Christ on the Mount of Olives*. The motif, however, can also be found in Troger's and Franz Anton Maulbertsch's early oeuvres.  \nKorompay developed the composition of the main figures in a shallow foreground, placing them within a group of appealing gesticulating figures that provide a link with the second figurative layer represented by an angel and *putti*.  \nThe artist's segmented brushwork accentuates the illusion of the scene's ascending tendency. The palette features a rich scale of subtle warm shades blending into one another – from deep red to pale pink and mauve – making up the colour base of the picture. Korompay off-set this colour scheme with the pasty tones of lemon yellow and yellow-green seen in Joseph's gown, and the cold blue of Jesus' cloak, contrasting with his red undergarment.  \nThe painting was a template for the side altar altarpiece at the Parish Church of St. James, Brno, which is preserved there to this day.","short_description":"St. Joseph, patron saint of a happy death, became a principal subject of altarpieces around 1700. The composition, based on paintings by F. Trevisiani and P. Troger, is the template for the side altar altarpiece at the Parish Church of St. James, Brno, preserved to this day.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1762","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 75 cm; w: 37 cm","place_of_production":"Brno","method_for_datation":"Korompay created seven pictures for the Church of St. James, a fact recorded in the sources and reflected in the paintings of Franz Anton Palko – a painter of altarpieces and a distinguished portraitist active in Brno and south Moravia.","provenance":"Private property Brno","obtention":"Acquired from the collection of the Brno based historian Ernst Hawlik in 1826.","bibliography":"Ernst Rincolini, Räsonnierende Andeutungen über die vorzüglichen in Franzensmuseum befindlichen Kunstwerke aus ältesten, älteren und neueren Zeiten der bildenden Kunst, *Zprávy hospodářské společnosti* 1828–1830, p. 223, no. 46.  \nUlrich Thieme – Felix Becker, *Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart XXI,* Leipzig, 1927, p. 321.  \nIvo Krsek, in Ivo Krsek –­­ Zdeněk Kudělka –­­ Miloš Stehlík –­­ Josef Válka, *Umění baroka na Moravě a ve Slezsku,*ed. Zdeněk Kudělka, Prague, 1996, p. 539, cat. 539.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque* *1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, p. 210, cat. 75.  \nZora Wörgötter, in Zora Wörgötter – Eduard Hindelang (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und sein Umkreis in Mähren. Ausgewählte Werke aus tschechischen Sammlungen. Ausstellungsführer*, Langenargen, 2006, pp. 54–55, cat. 55.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Patron","saint","Settecento"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"8719dd85-f9ef-50c8-9dad-04384401d5ca":{"name":"*The Revolt of the Dolls*","description":"This painting by Eduardo Viana is a landmark of the first modernism in Portuguese painting, even though it is influenced by naturalist themes such as landscape and traditions.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum","dates":"c. 1916","location":"Lisbon","author":"DGPC"},"8750b2ef-ed27-560f-a5b8-9740d8ab180c":{"name":"'A Palace Complex with Harem Gardens'","short_description":"The miniature, whose primary motif is a fantastic palace complex populated by a prince’s concubines along with their female servants and guards, in a way depicts the world as one great garden. In the distance we see the prince on the back of an elephant, and on the other side of the river all manner of activities are taking place that form a powerful contrast to the perhaps pleasant but enforced idleness of the women of the harem.  \n  \nThe painting has been attributed to Faiz Allah, one of the many skilled artists who worked in the growing provincial courts at the time when the Mughals’ power was waning. He was familiar with the concept of European linear perspective, but he disregarded its laws, either deliberately or unintentionally.","type":"Miniature, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira c. 1180 / AD c. 1765","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 45.5cm × 31.8cm","provenance":"India, Faizabad or Lucknow","bibliography":"Folsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: p. 184-195, fig. 3.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. 61.  \n  \nMukhoty, Ira, *The Lion and The Lily: the rise and fall of Awadh*, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2024: ill. 12 og s. 105.  \n  \nLefèvre, C. and Clais, J., (eds.), *Les arts moghols*, Paris: Citadelles & Mazenod, 2024: fig. 464, 448--449.  \n  \nKazemi F., and Buresi, M., (eds.), *Jardins et palais d'Orient*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2024, ill. 1, 80-- 81.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Faiz Allah","miniature","Mughal","painting"],"materials":["pigments"]},"87879e92-ff30-570b-8cd8-47fd7a42b282":{"name":"Book of the Images of the Fixed Stars of al-Sufi","alternate_name":"Kitab suwar al-kawakib al-thabita of al-Sufi","description":"This book, based on the Almagest of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, concerns the forty‑eight constellations known as the Fixed Stars, which, according to the medieval conception of the universe, inhabited the eighth of the nine spheres surrounding the earth. The constellations each appear twice in mirror image, shown as observed from the earth and from the sky.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Léonce] Alexandre Rosenberg, Paris, until 1913","dates":"AH late 9th century /AD late 15th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 25,8cm, width 18,1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1913","bibliography":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, D. S. Walker, A. P. Guadián, S. Babaie, S. Carboni, A. Froom, M. L. Swietochowski, T. Masuya, A. C. Daskalakis-Matthews, A. Kahli, and R. Kessler. \"Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995.\" In *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York.* , Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994.  \n  \nCarboni, S., *Following the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., and C. Moore, ed. \"A Resource for Educators.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446297","materials":["ink and gold on paper","leather binding"]},"888a6e61-03f6-52c9-9f55-414d518e18b8":{"name":"Altar panel with Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist","description":"In the Middle Ages, lepers were segregated from the rest of society in lazarettos. In Zurich, these were located outside the city walls, close to running water, and had a chapel of their own. The St. Moritz lazaretto, which was built on the Spanweid in 1364, housed destitute lepers. The chapel received a new altarpiece in 1506. The inside of the panels depicts St. Mary Magdalene in costly fashionable clothing with a pouch and a cutlery holder. She is holding an open pot of ointment and promising the lepers hope of healing.","type":"Painting","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Zentralbibliothek Zurich","dates":"1506","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 97.6cm, W: 121.5cm","method_for_datation":"Documents","provenance":"«Spanweid» chapel Zurich, Switzerland","obtention":"Permanent loan from the Zentralbibliothek Zurich as part of the «Morgengabe»","keywords":["Chapel Spanweid","John the Baptist","Mary Magdalene","painting","Zentralbibliothek","Zuerich"],"materials":["Egg tempera on spruce"]},"88a1a2c9-da3a-59b6-88ec-2a538e5b82e2":{"name":"*Flügelaltar (Winged Altar)*","description":"The creator of this triptych, which was intended as a small travel altar for private prayer, was Jan van Eyck, the most important representative of Old Netherlandish painting. Characteristic features of his new artistic style are the miniature-like, extremely realistic rendering of details and the use of brilliant colours. Enthroned in the centre of the Basilica is the Madonna with her son, the infant Christ. Stretched out at her feet is a precious woven carpet. It has a rhombic pattern featuring eight-pointed stars set in circles. Its intense colours contrast with the muted hues of the ingeniously patterned floor tiles.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"1437","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Central Panel: Height: 33.2cm, Width: 27.2cm; Left Wing: Height: 33.2cm, Width: 13.9cm; Right Wing: Height: 33.2cm, Width: 13.7cm","method_for_datation":"Artist signature: \"Johannes de eyck me fecit et c(o)mplevit Anno Dm M• CCCC• XXXVII• ALC• IXH• XAN\"","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Dutch","obtention":"This travel altar is known to have been in Dresden since it was first mentioned in the 1754 inventory-where it was still recorded as a work of Dürer.","bibliography":"Campbell, Lorne, “Jan Van Eyck. Dresden and Bruges”, *The Burlington Magazine*, 148. 1235 (February 2006): 138–140.  \nKetelsen, Th., and Neidhardt, U., et al. (eds), *Das Geheimnis des Jan van Eyck: Die frühen niederländischen Zeichnungen und Gemälde in Dresden* exhibition catalogue, München et al.: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2005: 177ff.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 386f., vol. 2, p. 244, gallery n. 799.  \nNeidhardt, U.,“The Development Process of the Dresden Triptych. News and Questions”, in Ch. Currie (ed), *Van Eyck Studies: Papers presented at the eighteenth symposium for the study of underdrawing and technology in painting*, Paris et al.: Peeters Publishers, 2017: 351–366.  \nNeidhardt, U., and C. Schölzel, “Jan van Eyck’s Dresden Triptych.”, in S. Foister et al. (eds), *Investigating Jan van Eyck*, Turnhout: Brepols, 2000: 25–39.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Bibel","carpet","Christianity","Madonna","painting"],"materials":["Oil on wood"]},"88ae5c68-848d-500a-a14d-08612e65ec15":{"name":"*Traitor*","alternate_name":"*The Revengers*","description":"During his frequent travels across the Balkans in the 1880s, Paja Jovanović acquainted himself with the ethnic makeup of the population, particularly in Lower Zeta (present-day Podgorica and the surrounding area), in the neighbourhood of Bar and in the border-lying area with Albania. It was here that Albanian, Serbian and Montenegrin inhabitants intermingled, so their characters, physiognomies, customs and vivid national costumes were entwined and fused into a whole in the paintings of Paja Jovanović. The image of capturing or trying a traitor, who, according to tribal custom, awaited sentencing, is certainly a noteworthy genre subject among those he selected to depict the life and customs of peoples in the Balkans. Unlike the first version, painted by Jovanović in 1885, this replica of The Traitor from the mid-1920s was painted in a more free-handed manner, in broad brush strokes and without insistence on details.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"Around 1925","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Juan Des Pins, France","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"890603fe-bd5e-5732-81cf-6842de790a60":{"name":"*Der heilige Sebastian (Saint Sebastian)*","description":"Antonello da Messina set the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian in Venice, as is evident from the waterways in the background or from the typical chimneys. As one of the largest European trading cities, Venice was a key hub for the exchange of exotic luxury goods. The two carpets depicted here would also have come to the lagoon city via trading routes. According to information provided by Stefano Carboni (2015), these were carpets from the Ottoman Empire. They were highly sought after as decorative items throughout Europe. Antonello da Messina painted this picture for the first altar of the Brotherhood of Saint Roch in the Church of San Giuliano in Venice. With its extremely steep perspective, the lifelike rendering of the flesh and the three-dimensional modelling of the nude figure, this work is a tour de force of early Renaissance painting.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"c. 1478","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 171cm, Width: 85.5cm","method_for_datation":"Origin: Artist signature: “\\[Antone\\]ll\\[us\\] \\[m\\]essaneus”  \nDate: Research and documentary evidence","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Venetian","obtention":"This panel painting was purchased for Dresden in 1873 from the collection of Johann Christian Endris in Vienna.","bibliography":"Henning, Andreas, “Il San Sebastiano di Antonello da Messina a Dresda. Iconografia e restauro”, in M. Lucco (ed), *Antonello da Messina. L'opera completa*, Milano: Silvana Editoriale, 2006: 75–89.  \nHenning, Andreas, and Ohlhoff, Günther (eds), *Antonello da Messina-Der heilige Sebastian*, Dresden: Michael Sandstein Verlag, 2005.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 44f., vol. 2, p. 91, gallery n. 52.  \nSkorupa, Thomas, *Antonello da Messina and his workshop. The master's legacy*, Berlin: Logos Verlag, 2015.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Anatolia","Bibel","carpet","Christianity","painting","Renaissance","Venice"],"materials":["Oil on wood","transferred to canvas"]},"89b9e8c6-f3d0-5b3f-8890-c5a4ed5ba8cf":{"name":"Dreams","alternate_name":"*Sogni*","description":"Vittorio Corcos is well known for his realistic paintings, especially his portraits of women. The woman depicted in the painting *Dreams* is Elena Vecchi, the daughter of a friend of the painter. Elena spent her adolescence at Corcos’ home. Presented in 1897 at the International Exposition Art of Florence, the portrait drew great attention and critical and public acclaim. Given the subject and its allusive title, it’s possible to see the image of a modern, proud and aware young woman that hitherto was represented only in literature: on the contrary, Corcos was able to masterfully represent it in painting. The scene was so admired that it was also reproduced on postcards. Corcos believed that while a portrait of a man has to show his social status, that of a woman always has to be appealing even if she is eighty years old.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1896","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"89e2bfdb-bfe0-596f-8f06-5bde0062915b":{"name":"*All Saints*","alternate_name":"*Triumphant Church*","description":"A gathering of saints opens up into a view of the heavens, symbolising the Church Triumphant. The ancient festival of All Hallows dates to as early as 609. Saints of all nations glorify the Holy Trinity, together with angels. In the left foreground is St. Francis of Assisi, above him St. Anthony of Padua and St Florian with a flag. At the bottom in the centre is the patron saint of the country, St. John of Nepomuk, with a palm leaf, and two Moravian martyrs, Jan Sarkander and Jan Capistranus. At the bottom on the right is St. Norbert, a Premonstratensian saint, with a monstrance. Above him are St. Lawrence and St. Stephen holding stones, St. Andrew carrying a cross, St. Peter with a set of keys and St. John the Baptist with a cross and an inscribed ribbon. The central space is occupied by the Church Fathers St. Hieronymus, St. Augustine with a burning heart, and St. Gregory. Below Christ and God the Father on the left, are the Old Testament prophets, King David with a harp and Moses with the Decalogue. On the right is the Virgin Mary – model for the Church Triumphant – absorbed in prayer, and New Testament figures. Chains of figurative groups create several layers in infinite space, the illusion of which is enhanced by the contrasting foreground, the scale of colour and light effects, and the drapery by which the artist rhythmically joins the figures into a single spiral flow.  \nThis sketch-type painting was a study for a high altar painting in Milotice Parish Church near Kyjov. It is generally thought to be one of the best works of Josef Stern, an artist from Brno who came to Moravia from Graz having studied at the Vienna Academy and journeyed to Italy. He was court painter to the Dietrichsteins and was said to be among the most learned artists in Moravia. During his work in Kroměříž he met F. A. Maulbertsch, whose expressive style had a significant impact upon him.","short_description":"This sketch-type painting was a study for the high altar painting in Milotice Parish Church. The gathering of saints opens up into a view of the heavens, while chains of figurative groups make up several layers in infinite space to create an illusion that is enhanced by a contrasting foreground and the scale of colour and light.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1760","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 82.7 cm; w: 43.3 cm","place_of_production":"Brno","method_for_datation":"Josef Stern’s authorship of the Milotice picture is upheld by 19th-century written sources; these references have been confirmed by modern style analysis.","obtention":"Acquired in 1948, provenance unknown.","bibliography":"Ivo Krsek, Malířství 2. poloviny 18. století na Moravě, *Sborník prací filozofické fakulty brněnské univerzity* F 25, 1981, p. 21.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Vienna, 1988, p. 90, cat. 54.  \n Michaela Loudová, *Malíř Josef Stern (1716*–­­*1775),* Diploma, Brno, 2000, pp. 94, 152.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque* *1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, pp. 209–210, cat. 74.  \nZora Wörgötter, in Zora Wörgötter – Eduard Hindelang (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und sein Umkreis in Mähren. Ausgewählte Werke aus tschechischen Sammlungen. Ausstellungsführer*, Langenargen, 2006, pp. 45–46, cat. 33.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","contrasting motif","illusion","modello","symbolism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"89f4e566-e82c-56e3-b94a-d8bd68a1f680":{"name":"*Tercüman*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc. *Tercüman*, the interpreter of a diplomatic mission.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"8b996198-d4aa-5ddf-8793-9747fc36a20c":{"name":"*1594 Burning of the Remains of St Sava*","description":"The Serb Stevan Aleksić was a student of Nikolaos Gyzis at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. The painting presented here shows him as a representative of academic realism, yet at the same time testifies to a significant gift for a striking play of light effects.  \nIn 1594, the Ottoman conquerors burned the remains of the Orthodox Christian saint Sava in Belgrade as a punitive deterrent against Serbian rebellion. St. Sava had played a pivotal role in the early 13th century. He was not just an Orthodox archbishop, but also the author of the first Serbian legal code. The foreign rulers thus asserted an important symbol of their power. In order to preserve the memory of the people's saint, a small church was first built on the site. Then, in 1935, the Serbian Orthodox Church prepared the ground for the St. Sava Cathedral, today one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.  \nIt is no surprise that Aleksić made this choice of subject in 1912, considering the political backdrop of the time. It was the year when Serbia joined the Balkan League, which launched the First Balkan War against the Ottoman Empire.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1912","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Novi Sad, Vojvodina (nowadays Serbia)","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"8bd2685c-4d66-5da7-a343-412c67377856":{"name":"*Birds in a Park*","short_description":"The source for this reverse glass painting has been identified as an oil painting of the same title by Flemish painter David de Coninck (or de Koninck), also known as Rammelaer. The glass painting was bought on the art market in 2016 as a work attributed to Anna Maria Franziska Pfyffer von Altishofen von Sonnenberg (1688–1757). However, the recently concluded restoration of this reverse glass painting uncovered a monogram and a date inscription previously obscured by the frame. Thanks to these elements, the work was re-attributed to her daughter, Maria Anna Pfyffer von Altishofen (1731).  \n  \nMother and daughter came from a patrician family in Lucerne and were influenced by the painting style of Anna Maria Barbara Abesch (1706–73). Their reverse glass paintings have so far been little researched and were unknown to the public for a long time, as they remained in the private possession of the family.","type":"Reverse glass painting; painting","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"1757","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 37cm, Width: 40cm (in light)","method_for_datation":"By date and signature","method_for_provenance":"According to the monogram","provenance":"Switzerland, Lucerne?","obtention":"Purchased from Stuker Auctions Bern in 2017","bibliography":"Ryser, Frieder, *Verzauberte Bilder: die Kunst der Malerei hinter Glas von der Antike bis zum 18. Jahrhundert*, Munich: Klinkhardt und Biermann, 1991.  \nStaffelbach, Georg, *Geschichte der Luzerner Hinterglasmalerei von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart*, Luzern: Diebold Schilling Verlag, 1951.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2668252","author":"Elisa Ambrosio","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["dove","duck","hare","ornamental fountain","park","peacock","Turkey"],"materials":["Reverse glass painting with negative effect. The paint is applied in several very thin layers."]},"8d429717-91c1-58a8-8960-902c72d886d5":{"name":"Fluidity","description":"Mohammed Al Saleem’s Fluidity can be used to evoke the landscape experience of travel across the Arabian Peninsula. Although the work does not directly depict the Hijaz Railway or a specific railway journey, its abstract treatment of horizon, light, movement, and space can be connected to the visual impressions encountered by travellers moving through desert landscapes. The painting may help viewers imagine the atmospheric experience of journeys in the region, including those historically associated with the Hijaz Railway. Rather than functioning as a documentary image, the work offers a modern artistic reflection on landscape, distance, and the fluid perception of space in motion.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"1977","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 81.6 cm; width: 116.8 cm; Depth: 3.5 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/fluidity-mat2015131","keywords":["Arabian Peninsula","desert landscapes","landscape","travel"],"materials":["Linen","Oil paint","Wood"]},"8e118b35-7d1e-5edb-b151-a23f348816c0":{"name":"*Patrona Hungariae sending St. Michael to Fight Against the Turks*","description":"In 1739, the Catholic convent in Sopron commissioned Martino Altomonte – a first-generation member of the Austrian High Baroque – to paint a picture for the high altar in St. Michael's Church. He passed the commission onto his son and collaborator, Bartolomeo. The Altomontes, who specialised in large church paintings, historical and triumphal compositions and frescoes, worked in the Italian Baroque tradition. Martino, although of Tyrolean stock, was born in Naples. He used an Italian version of his real name, Hohenberg, and first used his assumed name at the Polish court, where he painted compositions about the hereditary rulers. Later he was active in Vienna. His son, Bartolomeo, was a pupil of Solimena in Naples for two years.  \nThe vast altarpiece for Sopron echoes one of Francesco Solimena's (d. 1747) most popular creations, the fresco he painted in the San Domenico Maggiore in Naples in 1709. Bartolomeo continued to make use of details from Solimena's repertoire in his other works representing the Holy Trinity, St. Dominic with other saints, and the defeated heretics.  \nIn this picture, he adapted the subject to meet the wishes of his employers. The Virgin is represented as the patron saint of Hungary (indicated by the Hungarian coat of arms below her right hand), and the defeated are depicted as Turks wearing clothes and arms painted with pedantic accuracy. The impressive multi-coloured altarpiece, painted in the last years of the so-called Balkan campaign, illustrated for the faithful their release from Turkish rule – by then gradually becoming a reality – a notion suggested in the lower part of the picture by a battle scene, in the upper part by celestial rejoicing.","short_description":"In 1739, the Catholic convent in Sopron commissioned Martino Altomonte to paint a picture for the high altar in St. Michael's Church. He gave the commission to his son, Bartolomeo. Although this large altarpiece borrows motifs from Bartolomeo's teacher, Francesco Solimena's, painting in Naples the subject matter has a Hungarian actuality.","type":"Painting (altarpiece painting)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","owner":"Roman Catholic Parish Church, Sopron","initial_owner":"St. Michael’s Parish Church, Sopron","dates":"1739","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 435 cm; w: 226 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna, Heiligenkreuz or Sopron (?)","method_for_datation":"Through archive data, the signature and analysis of motifs.","provenance":"St. Michael’s Parish Church, Sopron","obtention":"On loan to the Hungarian National Gallery from the Roman Catholic Parish Church, Sopron.","bibliography":"Jávor, A., “Bartolommeo Altomonte soproni főoltárképe” (“The Sopron Main Altar by Bartolommeo Altomonte”), *Művészettörténeti Értesítő*, XXVI, 1981, pp. 288–291.","workshop":"Painter of Baroque altarpieces and frescoes","author":"Miklós Mojzer","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Elizabeth Hoch","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Battle scene","coat-of-arms","devotional painting","Italian influence","Madonna","Naples","Neapolitan painting","Ottoman","Ottoman Balkans","saints","St. Dominic","St. Michael","Turkish wars","Turks"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"8e7d84ba-9059-5c63-9b62-20ca88488664":{"name":"*The Arrival of the Sclavonians in Venice*","short_description":"The veduta painted in reverse shows a sea harbour under a bright, open sky with galleys on the right being loaded by seamen. In the foreground, a pipe-smoking man sits on a pile of crates facing his fellow merchants. Next to gun barrels, rudders and anchors, two men in fashionable dress stand in conversation. A palace backdrop with strongly diminishing perspective rounds off the scene to the left.  \n  \nThe source print for this work is drawn from Melchior Küssel’s (1622–83) *Iconographia* of 1671. The original picture, which carries no inscription indicating the location, is meant to show “the arrival of the Sclavonians in Venice with the prospect of the ships and galleys” after sketches by Johann Wilhelm Baurs (1607–42).  \n  \nIn this interpretation, J.W. Baumgartner largely follows the template of the print, while simplifying the ornamentation of the galleys and palace friezes to improve the legibility of the reverse glass painting. Surprisingly, he also leaves out the dog sitting prominently in the foreground.","type":"Reverse glass painting; painting","holder":"Vitromusée Romont","initial_owner":"Ruth and Frieder Ryser","dates":"1734","location":"Romont, Fribourg","dimensions":"Height: 24.3cm, Width: 32.1cm (including frame)","method_for_datation":"By date and signature","method_for_provenance":"According to the signature","provenance":"Germany, Augsburg","obtention":"Donated by Ruth und Frieder Ryser in 2006","bibliography":"Heymer, Berno, \"Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner: sechs wiederentdeckte Hinterglasveduten des Augsburger Rokoko-Malers (1709–1761)“, *Weltkunst*, 68 (1998): 2827-2829.  \nHeymer, Berno, \"Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner und die Augsburger Hinterglasmalerei des 18. Jahrhunderts“, *Bayerisches Jahrbuch für Volkskunde*, 2010: 51-61.  \nJolidon, Yves, \"Die Ankunft der Sklavonier in Venedig“, Georg Haindl and Christof Trepesch (eds), *Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner 1702–1761: Veduten hinter Glas*, Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2012: 32-45, Kat.-Nr. A3.  \nRyser, Frieder, *Verzauberte Bilder: die Kunst der Malerei hinter Glas von der Antike bis zum 18. Jahrhundert*, München: Klinkhardt und Biermann, 1991.  \nSalzburger Barockmuseum (ed), *Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner 1702–1761: Ölskizzen und Hinterglasbilder*, exhibition catalogue, Salzburger Barockmuseum : Salzburg, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.vitrosearch.ch/en/objects/2255163","author":"Elisa Ambrosio","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","translator":"Kate Whitebread","keywords":["harbour","seaman","trade and commerce","vedute"],"materials":["at times in several stages of processing.","Cylinder-blown glass plate of good quality","partly applied alla prima (wet-on-wet)","partly etched","with little streaking and few lenticular gas bubbles. Reverse glass painting with semi-opaque and opaque paints"]},"8efde259-472d-50ce-9578-75e8ff556e35":{"name":"*Nosocomium* \\[Latin: Hospital\\]","alternate_name":"*Nosocomio*","description":"Silvio Rotta was introduced to painting by his father and, in his early years, produced mainly watercolours, genre compositions inspired by Venetian popular customs. In 1887, after an illness, the production of the artist underwent a radical change ad began to show social realism through the depiction of the insane. *Nosocomium* represents a psychiatric hospital where poor and sick were hosted and nursed. The scale of the canvas is accentuated by the diagonal of the benches and the path. The painting won awards at the 1895 Biennale of Venice and is now recognised as one of the most important works by Rotta. The scene’s realism offers a merciless analysis and public complaint about the patients’ living conditions. Caring of poor and sick was an important issue during the 19th century and a law to control hospitals and mental institution was discussed in those years.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1895","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8ff19610-7179-5f91-98b9-6a0065997c52":{"name":"*Brieflesendes Mädchen am offenen Fenster (Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window)*","description":"This painting was the first in a series of quiet interior scenes incorporating only a few figures, which became characteristic of Vermeer's art from the late 1650s onwards. In particular, the theme of a woman writing or reading a letter is to be found in a number of his works; probably as a consequence of the vogue for letter-writing which had spread in Holland since the middle of the century. At the front of the scene is a carpet, decoratively crumpled so as to form a kind of barrier in front of the viewer. Similar Oriental carpets are to be found in many other paintings by Vermeer, suggesting that the Delft artist may have owned one himself.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"1657/59","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 83cm, Width: 64.5cm","method_for_datation":"Research and documentary evidence","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Dutch","obtention":"This painting was originally part of the Carignan collection in Paris, from which it was purchased for Dresden by De Brais in 1742.","bibliography":"Franses, Michael, “Orientalische Teppiche auf Gemälden Vermeers”, in U. Neidhardt (ed), *Der frühe Vermeer*, Berlin et al.: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010: 108–113.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 499f., vol. 2, p. 569, gallery n. 1336.  \nNeidhardt, Uta (ed), *Der frühe Vermeer*, Berlin et al.: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010.  \nWheelock, Arthur K. Jr., *Johannes Vermeer*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["carpet","genre painting","painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"908862b3-3d2c-5b16-93ce-f2a0873efd37":{"name":"*Algiers port*","description":"Albert Marquet spent 1904 and 1907 in the company of Fauve, and in 1913 he lived in Tangier with Matisse and Camoin. Seven years later in 1920 he visited Algiers for the first time, and went on to spent a few months there every year henceforth. He also lived in Algiers for the duration of the Second World War. Marquet was friendly with most of the artists from the Algerian school, and exhibited his paintings in galleries in the centre of town. Many of his paintings were on the theme of Algiers' harbour. In 1939, his friends from the Salle Bordes organised his first solo exhibition. His style, which was characterised by the luminosity and clarity he saw in North Africa, was an important early influence on the Algerian painter Mohamed Temam.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"c. 1920","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"90aa72df-4823-5e48-bcc0-2aa150e3f718":{"name":"*The Suez Canal*","alternate_name":"*L'Istmo di Suez*","description":"Alberto Rieger studied at the Academy of Venice thanks to the patronage of the Baron Pasquale Revoltella, who commissioned him to create the painting showing the Suez Canal, which was presented at the Exposition of Fine Arts in 1864. The artwork is meant to celebrate the most important enterprise in Revoltella’s career; he personally travelled to Suez in 1861-62 to supervise the works for the construction of the channel that he promoted. The painting was executed by studying technical maps of the ground, sketches and photographs. The result is very close to the actual conditions of the city of Cairo, the pyramids and the delta of the Nile. The artist was commissioned also an open view of the city of Trieste by Pasquale Revoltella.","type":"Painting","holder":"Revoltella Civic Museum","dates":"1864","location":"Trieste","provenance":"Italy","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"90f03bbd-926a-5169-8417-077f9aa6426e":{"name":"Horse and Groom","short_description":"By the sixteenth century, a tradition existed in Iran for depicting royal horses either with or without their grooms for inclusion in albums. That these are prized horses is not only demonstrated by the fact that they have been singled out as the subject of a painting but because they are generally covered, as here, by decorative blankets and other elegant fittings. In addition, the well-dressed little groom in the painting wears the distinctive headdress associated with the early Safavid dynasty. The painting is ascribed in gold *nasta‘liq* to ‘Abd al-Samad, who produced several other works on the same theme in Iran and India. On the reverse are two calligraphies, one in white *nasta‘liq* signed by Sultan Muhammad Khandan and Hashim Mudhahhib (the gilder).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 935-945 / AD 1530s","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"9.5 x 14cm","method_for_datation":"As proposed by David Roxburgh, this painting along with several others, was once affixed to a page in an album complied for Bahram Mirza (Hegira 923-57 / AD 1517-49), brother of Shah Tahmasp (Hegira 930-84 / AD 1524-76), by the calligrapher Dust Muhammad in Hegira 951 / AD 1544-45. Some pages from the Bahram Mirza Album (in the Topkapi Palace Library) were removed and disassembled in the early 20th century.","method_for_provenance":"The style of the painting and the headdress of the groom are consonant with the early Safavid period when the capital was at Tabriz, where the court artist ‘Abd al-Samad, to whom the painting is ascribed, worked prior to joining the Mughal court in Hegira 957 / AD 1549.","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Collection of Armenag bey Sakisian (1875-1949), by 1929 (sale, Sotheby’s, London, December 1, 1969, lot 57, sold to); Kevorkian Foundation (Hagop Kevorkian - 1872-1962), until 1969 (sale, Sotheby’s, London, December 1, 1969, lot 57, sold to); Edwin Binney, 3rd (1866-1934), Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1985. In 1991, became possession of LACMA, until 2010 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Gifts of the Sultan: The Art of Giving at the Islamic Courts*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2011: 292-293, fig. 22.  \nOverton, Keelan, “A History of Ottoman Art History through the Private Database of Edward Binney, 3rd,” *Journal of Art Historiography*, 6 (2012): 18, footnote 70.  \nPhillip, Filiz Çakir, *Enchanted Lines: Drawings from the Aga Khan Museum Collection*, Toronto: Aga Khan Museum, 2014: 22-23.  \nRoxburgh, David \"Disorderly Conduct?: F.R. Martin and the Bahram Mirza Album,” *Muqarnas*, 15 (1998): 38, figs. 11-12.  \nSakisian, Armenag, *La Miniature Persane du XIIe au XVIIe siècle*, Paris: Les Editions G, 1929L: pl. 87, fig. 155.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["animal decoration","calligraphy","figural motifs","gold","horses","Illustration","ink","Iran","manuscript","nastaliq","nastaʿliq","painting","Safavid","watercolour"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"91029f78-8118-55e0-9f2c-c243b78948b4":{"name":"*Landscape of Calligraphy*","description":"This artistic work embodies the artist's experience in the field of Arabic calligraphy and craft formations.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 140cm, width: 133cm","provenance":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019)","obtention":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019).","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Oman","painting","water"],"materials":["Acrylic on canvas"]},"914d504a-f1d9-547d-a104-0080ce3a5c65":{"name":"*St. Jerome*","description":"The painting is signed (FED.BAROCIUS/URB. as PING. at) and first appears in the inventory of the Scipione Borghese collection in 1693. No details of the commissioning and dating of the work are known, but stylistic considerations allow us to place it in the final decades of the 16th century. This dating is close to his other painting in the Borghese Collection, *Aeneas' Flight from Troy* (inv.68) of 1598. Indeed the figure of the aged Anchises appears to be the same as the figure of St. Jerome, here intent on beating his chest with a stone.  \nFederico Barocci, a renowned portraitist, was one of the most esteemed painters in Counter-Reformation Rome, and worked for the new religious congregations such as the Congregation of the Oratory founded by St. Philip Neri at the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, and older orders such as the Dominicans at the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.  \nThis small painting, probably for popular worship, shows the saint in a cave, barely illuminated by the light of a candle in his lantern, cleverly placed along the right edge of the painting so as to direct the ray of light only on to the figure of the protagonist. His gaze, full of the spirituality that was a key feature of the great Urbino artist's paintings, is directed towards the face of Jesus nailed to the cross that he holds in his hand. Beside him lie objects of study and meditation: book, skull and hourglass, as well as the cardinal's hat that, along with the red cape around his body, recall the important role the saint played in the Church: translator of the Biblical texts (the *Vulgate*).  \nThe most recent restoration work carried out reveals a lion, from whose paw Jerome removed a thorn, sleeping like a cat in the background, indicating its absolute submission. Behind an opening in the rock, barely illuminated by the moonlight, is the Ducal Palace of Urbino, the artist's city of birth and probably where the work was painted.","short_description":"The painting, which in the background has the Ducal Palace of Urbino, the birthplace of the artist, shows St. Jerome a protagonist of the first cardinals of the church. He strikes his chest with a stone. The saint is in the dark, the only light coming from a small lamp. Lighting is part of the repertoire of the great Baroque era.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"c. 1598","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 97 cm; w: 67 cm","place_of_production":"Urbino?","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.100, pp. 69–70.  \nEmiliani A., *Federico Barocci*, Bologna, 1985, 2 vols, I, pp. 302–305.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Aeneas' Flight from Troy","anatomy","Bible","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","devotional painting","Dominicans","Oratory","religious orders","St. Philip Neri","symbol"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"91dd3f61-5c6d-56ac-a627-29e49ab8fc08":{"name":"*The Baptism of St. Augustine*","description":"The picture depicts the baptism of St. Augustine (354–430), together with his son Adeodat, by St. Ambrosius. Augustine, one of the Church Fathers and Bishop of Milan, influenced Christian doctrine from the Middle Ages to modern times with his writing.  \nThe base of the font is a beehive, a symbol of the church and an Augustine attribute. This picture was a template for a high altar painting in Jevíčko Church, commissioned by the Abbot of the Augustinian Monastery in Brno. It shares a number of motifs with *The Baptism of Prince Bořivoj* (Svatopluk?) by Josef Winterhalder Jr. (Silesian Provincial Museum, Opava). For example, drapery hangs in the foreground and columns form a vista into the temple space, with segmentation and illumination provided by a row of windows. The main light source in both pictures enters the scene through the vault to accentuate the central figurative motif, and although light is a unifying factor for both artists, for Havelka, it is assigned a different role. There are also similarities in the figurative aspects of both paintings, such as the standing and kneeling male figures in the foreground.  \nThese analogies may be explained either by a joint model (a print) from which both artists derived their motifs or by the fact that Havelka drew inspiration from J. Winterhalder Jr. The latter speculation is supported by the colour scheme of this design; silver-white and cold blue, colours that are not found in the rest of Havelka's oeuvre.  \nThe Museum of South Moravia in Znojmo holds another smaller version of Havelka's *Baptism of St. Augustine*. The Znojmo picture probably preceded the Brno design as its style appears more spontaneous and it is composed as a rectangle.  \nSome of Havelka's pictures indicate that he was familiar with the work of F. A. Maulbertsch and J. W. Bergl, whose paintings were known in Havelka's native region. Similar compositions can be found in the work of C. Carlone and F. J. Spiegler (Merdingen).","short_description":"St. Augustine, one of the Church Fathers, together with his son Adeodat, are baptised by St. Ambrosius. This is a template for a high altar piece in Jevíčko Church. Havelka’s style indicates that he was familiar with the work of both F.A. Maulbertsch and J.W. Bergl.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"St. Augustine Abbey, Old Brno","initial_owner":"St. Augustine Abbey, Old Brno","dates":"c. 1770","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 79.4 cm; w: 47 cm","place_of_production":"Brno","method_for_datation":"J. I. Havelka’s authorship is illustrated by some of the figurative types, the light, sharp, segmented and vivid brushstrokes and the impasto application of white with a half-dry brush on the drapery crest. This attribution is confirmed by the transfer of the exhibited model into a larger format for the altar in the Jevíčko Church. The picture is ascribed to Havelka in both archive sources and in 19th-century literature.","provenance":"St. Augustine Abbey, Old Brno","obtention":"The picture is on long-term loan from the Augustinian Abbey, Old Brno, which between 1956 and 1993 was administered by the Moravian Gallery, Brno.","bibliography":"Vlasta Kratinová, *Barok na Moravě* – *Malířské a sochařské návrhy z moravských sbírek,* Prague, 1986, pp. 13–14, cat. 5.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Wien, 1988, p. 28, cat. 11.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock. Malerei und Plastik,* Brno, 1993, p. 54, cat. 33.  \nVlasta Kratinová, in Jiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque* *1760–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2002, p. 244, cat. 89.  \nZora Wörgötter, in Zora Wörgötter – Eduard Hindelang (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und sein Umkreis in Mähren. Ausgewählte Werke aus tschechischen Sammlungen. Ausstellungsführer*, Langenargen, 2006, p. 48, cat. 39.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Attribute","Christian themes","modello","religious object","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"91edb81f-fd53-5ef4-97f9-e53eac5c04c2":{"name":"Saint Nicholas of Mozhaisk with Scenes from His Life","description":"Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from modern-day Turkey, is one of the most venerated saints in Russia. Stories of Saint Nicholas giving gifts to the needy and protecting children spread far and wide as people traveled or emigrated from Russia to other countries. In this icon, a full-length statue of Saint Nicholas is set in a *kiot* (wooden box). Painted panels with images of Christ and the Mother of God were once affixed to either side. In the center panel, Saint Nicholas originally held a sword in his right hand and a church in his left hand; both are now missing. The doors are illustrated with important scenes from the saint’s life.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1750","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 83.82cm, Width: 63.5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Sotheby's Auction in 2005. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"9241049c-6cdf-5701-af96-c463f9661bf7":{"name":"*Mosque Gate*","description":"Caliph Abdulmecid was interested in art in addition to administration. He opened many art exhibitions. He was chosen as honorary president of the Society of Ottoman Painters, which was founded in 1909, and he gave considerable financial support to the monthly journal published by the society. He took part in the Galatasaray Art Exhibitions with his paintings. For example, one of his paintings was accepted for an exhibition held at Galatasaray during the first years of the First World War. His works reveal him as a colourist and an accomplished portrait painter. Caliph Abdulmecid showed his paintings at the Viyana Exhibition, which was the first exhibition opened by Turkish painters in Europe in 1918.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"92874325-99be-5a7a-bef3-ee0ac0e45efd":{"name":"*Still life with Fruits, Parrots and a White Cockatoo*","alternate_name":"*Still life with birds (fruits and parrots)*","description":"Jakab Bogdány left his native town, Eperjes (Prešov) in Upper Hungary, at a young age, going first to Vienna and then to Amsterdam where sources mention him in 1684, and where he may have pursued his studies. At any rate, Amsterdam, then the centre of middle-class genres, especially still life, was a perfect school for an artist just starting out. At first he painted flower and fruit pieces, which proved to be a lifelong experience for him, for the effect of the Dutch example remained discernible in this group of works throughout his life. Bogdány moved to London in 1688, and his technical expertise soon earned him fame among the English aristocracy. His most important clients were the royal family themselves. As a sign of both his artistic and social recognition, he gained English citizenship in 1700 and purchased an estate near London. He began to paint animal compositions, mainly exotic birds, designed for above doors or mantelpieces; most of these pictures are still in situ, found in their original settings in private collections in rural England. Influenced by the painter, Melchior de Hondecoeter, an outstanding Dutch master of bird paintings, Bogdány's are actually elegant genre pictures with exotic birds as actors against a background of elegant parks and classical buildings. He studied, and from the point of view of ornithology, accurately depicted, rare and colourful birds in the aviary at Windsor Park, which belonged to one of his main clients, Admiral George Churchill.","short_description":"Jakab Bogdány, born in Eperjes (Prešov), completed his studies in the Netherlands and became famous in England, becoming extremely popular with the English aristocracy. He was a master of the artistic form he practiced – still life paintings with birds – and worked for the royal family. The Hungarian state repurchased his splendid still life paintings with birds in the early 20th century.","type":"Painting (still life)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","dates":"1710s","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 98 cm; w: 128.5 cm","place_of_production":"England","method_for_datation":"The painting is signed and the date defined by stylistic analysis.","obtention":"Purchased from an English private collection in 1907; in the Museum of Fine Arts until 1974 and then transferred to the Hungarian National Gallery.","bibliography":"Pigler, A., *Bogdány Jakab (1660–1724)*, Budapest, 1941.  \n*The Hungarian National Gallery: The Old Collection*, (ed. M. Mojzer), Budapest, 1984, p. 138.  \nRajnai, M., *Jacob Bogdani c. 1660–1724*, exhibition catalogue, London, 1989, p. 7.","author":"Enikő Buzási","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Judit Pokoly","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["animal decoration","bird","Eperjes","exotic birds","exoticism","fruit","George Churchill","Jacob Bogdani","Melchior de Hondecoeter","Preschau","Prešov","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"92b3efa7-036f-51ea-b0de-19ce7cc1ea97":{"name":"The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II a","short_description":"The miniature painting “The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. This painting is attributed to Siyavush, a Georgian slave at the court of Tahmasp who contributed an impressive total of 22 paintings to this manuscript. The scene shows the Khaqan and his advisors taking stock of the death of their champion Kamus-i Kashani in the recent battle with Rustam.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45.5 x 31.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","silver and ink on paper"]},"938149f6-52f2-528c-8af6-89d9c8a0c702":{"name":"*Remembrance*","alternate_name":"*A Girl and a Violinist*","description":"A young woman in a coat lined with fur gazes out of the picture lost in thought while knitting a stocking and no longer listening to the sound of a violin. It appears that the music has reminded her of a past situation probably of a romantic nature. The violinist, sensing the woman's mental absence, remains in the background. A richly decorated mirror, glossy box, knitting basket, a broken string of pearls and precious sheet in the right-hand corner, make up a sentimental still life. The emotional air of the picture is accentuated by a landscape on the wall of an otherwise austere interior.  \nGenre painting was once considered low and its subjects trivial if picturesque and amusing. With the escalating social whirl of the 18th century the subject of the actions and relationships between people, originating in 17th century Dutch burgher culture, became increasingly important. Pictures typically combined landscape, genre painting and narrative, with conversation often providing a vehicle for the “action”. Conversation scenes between men and women were particularly popular. They were largely based on the Dutch “fine style” promoted by Rembrandt's student Gérard Dou in Leyden, and shaped by the Scandinavian tradition of attention to detail and close observation of reality. While Rembrandt arrived at expressive internal visions, painters of the Leyden school mastered the techniques of representing different materials – later taken up by the Biedermeier. Pictures by the “*Fijnschilders*” were highly valued and sought after in their time. The word *fijn* encompasses more than the obvious notion of something fine, holding connotations including nice, refined, elegant, apt, precise and sensitive. In 18th-century Central Europe the style found admirers among both art collectors and painters. Braun, a member of the Vienna Academy, often transformed moralist paintings by the Dutch painters Frans van Mieris and Dou into pleasant pictures. He was also a competent portraitist, restorer and art dealer.","short_description":"With the escalating social whirl of the 18th century the subject of the relationships between people, originating in 17th-century Dutch burgher culture, became important. Braun, a member of the Vienna Academy, often transformed moralist paintings by the Dutch painters F. Mieris and G. Doue into pleasant pictures.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","dates":"1785","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 33 cm; w: 27.5 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"The painting is marked top right: *A. Braun f.1785*","provenance":"Strážnice Chateau","obtention":"Acquired in 1947 from the Strážnice Chateau, probably from the collection of Count Magnis.","bibliography":"Jiří Kroupa, *Umění doby osvícenské. Střední Evropa 1760*–*1810,* Brno, 1984, no. 42.  \nJiří Kroupa, *Alchymie štěstí. Pozdní osvícenství a moravská společnost,* Brno–Kroměříž, 1986, no. 86.  \nVlasta Kratinová, *Barock in Mähren*, Wien, 1988, pp. 13–14, cat. 2.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Biedermeier","genre painting"],"materials":["Oil on wood"]},"9409c213-6c6b-5cb6-a9b8-56b896a68058":{"name":"Two caracals and two deer  \nFolio from a 1544–45 album assembled for Bahram Mirza","short_description":"This landscape shows two seemingly wild cats, or more precisely, caracals, observing two deer. The single-page drawing is attributed to Bihzad (ca. 1450–ca. 1535), who was one of the most famous artists of the Timurid period (1370–1507). It was once part of a folio mounted in the same *muraqqa’* (album) as Portrait of Hatifi the Poet (AKM160). Shah Tahmasp’s brother, Bahram Mirza, ordered the painter and calligrapher Dust Muhammad to complete this royal *muraqqa’* in 1544–45.\\[1\\] Although the second half of the inscription indicates Bihzad’s name, it is not a genuine signature. This was the traditional formula used to show respect for the master and to express modesty. Although these words and the surrounding illumination are a later addition, they may well reveal a close relationship between these two masters, Mawlana Wali and Bihzad, at the Herat court of Sultan Husayn Bayqara in the late 15th century.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1485","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"9.6 x 13.3cm","provenance":"Afghanistan, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] Welch, Anthony, and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982: 65.  \n  \nWelch, Anthony, and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982.","keywords":["Album","animals","figure","folio","human-figure","illumination","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"95a395e9-4f22-5c84-a839-c155ac43072c":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Two brothers pick up an elephant on the field; Farrukh-Nizhad goes, picks the elephant up, and converts them to Islam","short_description":"Great deeds, mainly lifting heavy weights, are arguments for the correctness of Islam. The text of the episode is unknown.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200239","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel","keywords":["Elephant","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"963a62ad-af06-501c-b4d1-95dcf8be84c1":{"name":"*Samson Imprisoned*","description":"The painting is first mentioned as being part of the Scipione Borghese Collection in 1650, but no details of the date of its commission have survived. The date given (1590–1595) relates to the period in which Annibale, one of the founders of the *Accademia degli Incamminati*, was active in Bologna working on the decoration of the Palazzo Fava. It is possible that the naked figure of Samson is a draft, possibly a trial-run for one of the many monochrome nudes, often used as telamons, in the fresco decoration of noble Bolognese residences. Annibale continued his decorative work in Rome, where he worked on the famous Galleria di Palazzo Farnese. It was here, abandoned by his family, that he suffered from the depression that eventually killed him.  \nThe subject covers the biblical passage in the Old Testament (Judges 15, 12) in which Samson, imprisoned by Judas' men and about to be taken by the Philistines, is about to fulfil the Will of God. Invested with the Holy Spirit, he manages to free himself from his ropes and uses the jawbone of an ass to kill more than 1000 men. The painting does not show the action, but depicts the splendid, monumental muscular figure emerging from a dark background. We cannot even see his face, which thanks to its foreshortened position is hidden by shadow. All our attention is focused on the figure of the hero: the bent leg and the hands behind his back demonstrate the careful anatomical study undertaken by one of the greatest Baroque painters of the early 17th century.","short_description":"This work was probably painted in Bologna, a year before Annibale moved to Rome. It is actually more advanced than the decorations of Fava Palace in Bologna (the monochrome gods and frieze) and is closer to the classical forms of Palazzo Farnese. This painting is an example of the Carracci Academy.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"1590/95","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 180 cm; w: 130 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.17, pp. 20–21.  \nPoster, D., *Annibale Carracci. A study in the reform of Italian Painting around 1590*, 2 vols, London, 1971, I, cat. 83, p. 34.  \nColiva, A., *Galleria Borghese*, Rome, 1994, p. 191.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["academy","anatomy","Bozzetto","Christian themes","palatial architecture","telamon"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"964a5e5c-38f2-52e1-916c-5aa787fad913":{"name":"\"How a Braggart was Drowned in a Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio 33v from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This miniature is an illustration of the most dramatic episode in the tale told by the Moorish princess in the Green Paviliion on Monday. While traversing the desert, Bashr, a good and pious man, and his bragging and evil-minded traveling companion come upon a jar filled with pure water sunk into the sand. After they have quenched their thirst, the selfish companion insists upon bathing in the water, in spite of Bashr's pleas against polluting it. The water turns out to be a deep well fed by a spring, and the heedless companion drowns. The tale ends happily for the deserving Bashr. The well is shown from two different perspectives to aid the viewer's comprehension of the scene.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"ca. AH 834 / AD 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting height: 22.5cm, width: 12.1cm; Page height: 27.9cm, width: 18.3cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in *Ars Orientalis* vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, no.62, (1989).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455058","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"97430dda-4f55-5d8c-8dbf-87ed5f7bc6a3":{"name":"*Capture of Christ*","description":"The canvas came to the Borghese collection due to the life annuity agreed in 1787 by Marcantonio Borghese with the sculptor Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, who gave a number of different pieces from his collection.  \nThe painting shows notable similarities to the *Capture of Christ* painted by Caravaggio (Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland), handling the same subject in a more balanced and composed manner. Bright armour that illuminates the scene contrasts with the central figure of Christ, dressed in red with his gaze lifted to the sky and his hands together, the only figure who is facing the viewer.  \nThe composition appears orchestrated with rhythm, suggesting a drama that is more theatrical than profound. The work shows the influence of the Caravaggesque language used by Bartolomeo Manfredi, focusing on a substantial simplification of the dramatic, artistic and moral implications of Merisi's painting. The Caravaggesque inventions thus became easier to spread and, reproduced in different contexts, they quickly became elements of “typical” painting, which in turn gave rise to the phenomenon of “Caravaggism”.  \nThis method, described as *Manfrediana methodus*, became widespread in Rome in the first decades of the 17th century, in particular among the ever-present colony of northern artists who came to new and prestigious commissions. Van Baburen, who worked with David de Haen on the decoration of a chapel in the Church of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome, was particularly able to mediate between the Caravaggesque lesson and the Baroque style of Rubens' work.","short_description":"The Dutch painter arrived in Rome around 1617 and assimilated the *chiaroscuro* of Caravaggio's style. He had an important role in establishing Utrecht as a stronghold of the Caravaggesque style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"1617–1620","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 139 cm; w: 202 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.197, p. 144.  \nScarpa, T., in *Omaggio a Capodimonte. Da Caravaggio a Picasso*, exhibition catalogue, Naples, 2007, cat. 1, pp. 16–17.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Caravaggio","chiaroscuro","Dutch painting","movement","Rubens","theatre","Utrecht school"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"97c84e4d-b5db-513a-8e7d-cfa06d0b62ff":{"name":"In Thee Rejoiceth","description":"This icon is based on a famous hymn written by 7th-century saint and theologian, John of Damascus, to the Mother of God. The hymn includes the following text:  \n  \nAll of Creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:  \nthe angels in heaven and the race of men,  \nO sanctified temple and spiritual paradise,  \nthe glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate  \nand became a child, our God before the ages.  \nHe made thy body into a throne,  \nand thy womb more spacious than the heavens.  \nAll of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:  \nGlory be to thee  \n  \nIn this icon, the images of the Mother of God and Christ are serene while the choir of saints and people depicted at the lower part of this icon are animated and immersed in song. The landscape, with green trees on a white background, is symbolic of paradise. The crowd at the bottom of the image represents humankind, and the domes signify the church.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1650","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 32.5cm, Width: 27.5cm, Depth: 2.6cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2013. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"97f72893-57de-5507-8d3c-253570b152a5":{"name":"*St. Joseph Calasanctius before the Virgin with Hungarian Pupils*","description":"Felix Ivo Leicher arrived in Vienna from the Silesian town, Bílovec, with the support of the Piarist Fathers. He enrolled as a pupil at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna (his presence is documented from 1751) and won second prize in the academic competition of 1754, which made him a supported member of the Academy known as *Schutzverwandte*. He worked for a long time with Franz Anton Maulbertsch who remained a lifelong friend. His compositions, loose modelling, effective lighting and the ability to portray characteristic types undoubtedly betray the influences and ideas of Maulbertsch, although Leicher's approach is softer, weaker and without the expressive power, dramatic vitality or pictorial virtuosity of his master.  \nAllegedly, a burgher of Tata commissioned this picture in Vienna for the Tata Piarists in 1767. Leicher worked in Vienna and was a pupil and protégé of the Piarists for whom he carried out a lot of work, undertaking several altarpieces on which he represented St. Joseph of Calasanctius (1556–1648) the founder of the Piarist order, who was canonised in 1767. In the main, these pictures refer to the educational activity of the order, depicting the saint with a circle of students as he recommends them to the patronage of Mary and the Infant Jesus whose figures appear among the clouds. This is the theme of the devout Tata painting *St. Joseph Calasanctius before the Virgin with Hungarian Pupils* depicting boys, dressed in contemporary Hungarian fashion, accompanied by St. Joseph and their guardian angel. The light, which draws the viewer's eye upwards, together with the expressive gestures and the sweet mild faces, call to mind the art of Leicher's master, Franz Anton Maulbertsch. The Tata picture is one of Leicher's most harmonious. He repeated this theme, in a larger format and different composition, in the Piarist Church of Brezno and paintings for altarpieces in the Piarist churches of Mikulov, Benešov and Nagykároly (Carei).","short_description":"A pupil of Franz Anton Maulbertsch, Felix Ivo Leicher worked on several altarpieces in Hungary (Vác, Martonvásár, and Besztercebánya (Banská Bystrica). The subject of this painting, commissioned by a burgher of Tata in Vienna for the Tata Piarists in 1767, is especially popular in Hungary because of its representation of children.","type":"Painting","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery (on loan from the Kuny Domokos Museum, Tata)","initial_owner":"Piarist House, Tata","dates":"1767","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 201 cm; w: 126 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna / Tata","method_for_datation":"by stylistic analysis and historical data","provenance":"Piarist House, Tata; from the Piarist Convent in Tata","obtention":"From the Piarist convent in Tata","bibliography":"*Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993, pp. 252–255.","workshop":"Workshop of Franz Anton Maulbertsch","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Tamás Sajó","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Banská Bystrica","Besztercebánya","burgher","education","Felix Ivo Leicher","Franz Anton Maulbertsch","Madonna","Piarist order","religious schools","St. Joseph of Calasanctius","Tata"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9844c72d-8d2f-50e5-8d5b-86ef15a82164":{"name":"*Egyptian village scene*","description":"Egyptian men and women are seen here in a town or village on the Nile. In the shade of an overhanging tree a market stall displays its wares, including paper lanterns and bread. At the stall behind, sugar cane is for sale. In the background is a mosque with a white minaret, though not distinctive enough to establish the scene's locality. Pilleau had visited Egypt in the winter of 1842-43 with Lieutenant Colonel George Everest (after whom Mount Everest was named) and two other companions, on their way home from India. On his return to England he published a set of twelve coloured lithographs, Sketches in Egypt (1845), which, like the better-known publications of Wilkie, Roberts and Owen Jones in the same decade, fuelled popular interest in Egypt and the Holy Land.","type":"Painting; watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1869 (painted)","location":"London","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"984e9648-99b0-5b96-b617-3bc4c6acf1fe":{"name":"The Night of Power (*Shab-i Qadr*)  \nFolio from the *Khamsa* of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (1253–1325)","short_description":"This folio illustrates an episode from a five-part poem known as the *Khamseh* (Quintet), written in Persian between 1298 and 1305\\[1\\] by the prominent Indian poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi. Known widely as Khusraw, he also wrote historical epics and romances, and worked under Turkish nobles in India in the late 13th century before entering the patronage of the royal court in Delhi, India.\\[2\\] Khusraw’s *Khamseh* (Quintet) evokes in its form and style a five-poem collection by the Persian poet Nizami (d. 1209). This copy of the *Khamseh* was produced near Delhi in the 15th century.\\[3\\] At some point in its history, its contents were dispersed. 'The Night of Power' (*Shab-i Qadr*) is the sole folio in the Aga Khan Museum Collection that originates from this dispersed manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.8 x 25.2cm","provenance":"India, Delhi","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n\\[2\\] Welch and Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982: 146.  \n\\[3\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n  \nJunod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia, *Los mundos del Islam en la colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundacion La Caixa, 2009. ISBN: 9788499000138.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801415487.","keywords":["folio","poem","poetry","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"986dd8ef-8d48-564e-8d94-efc86002986d":{"name":"*St. Florian with a View of Jihlava*","description":"The picture is a typical example of a votive painting designed for a town environment. In their everyday prayers and pledges, people of the period turned to saints as protectors against the various perils of life. The promotion of saints in these roles was among the chief tools of re-Catholicisation in rural areas. St. Florian, protector from fire, was among the most worshipped. Here the saint is depicted as the protector of the town of Jihlava. Under Swedish siege during the Thirty Years' War the town suburbs were burnt down and the majority of the houses were destroyed. Only one-eighth of the Jihlava population survived.  \nJihlava is the oldest mining town of the Czech lands, renowned in the Middle Ages for its silver mines. Mining law was codified there for the first time in Central Europe, alongside municipal law. This formulary law became a template for a number of other mining towns. The economic development of Jihlava was facilitated by trade and crafts, especially weaving. In the mid-18th century, Jihlava was the second largest manufacturer of cloth in the Habsburg monarchy. This *veduta* is dominated by the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius, with the parish Church of St. James in the background, on the right; the whole town is encircled by its walls. The square is lined with stone buildings, with arcades and a town hall that feature different types of vaulting. The regular ground plan of the right-angled network of streets with a square in the centre, the largest in Moravia, was defined by a building order made by King Přemysl Otakar II in 1270.  \nThe work of Václav Nosek has not yet been fully mapped as it has a relatively broad span. After settling in Jihlava in 1702, he worked for the town as well as for the Bishop of Olomouc (Kroměříž, 1711) and the Premonstratensian monastery in Louka u Znojma (*Education of the Virgin Mary*, side altar, 1712). In the 1720s, Nosek also produced templates for graphic illustrations of Episcopal prints.","short_description":"The picture is a typical example of a votive painting. The promotion of saints as protectors was among the chief tools of re-Catholicisation in rural areas. St. Florian, protector from fire, is represented here as the patron saint of Jihlava, one of the largest and wealthiest Moravian towns.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","initial_owner":"Parish Church of St. James, Jihlava","dates":"1725","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 209 cm; w: 133 cm","place_of_production":"Jihlava","method_for_datation":"The archivist and historian Johann Peter Cerroni states that Nosek painted a picture of St. Florian with a *veduta* of Jihlava. By stylistic comparison the work may be associated with the painting in the Moravian Gallery.","provenance":"Highlands Museum, Jihlava","obtention":"The painting from the Highlands Museum, Jihlava was transferred to the Moravian Gallery in Brno in 1962. It probably comes from the parish Church of St. James.","bibliography":"Ivo Krsek, in Ivo Krsek – Zdeněk Kudělka (ed) – Miloš Stehlík – Josef Válka, *Umění baroka na Moravě a ve Slezsku*, Prague, 1996, pp. 113, 457.  \nPavel Suchánek – Michaela Šeferisová Loudová, Barokní malířství a sochařství v Jihlavě, in *Dějiny Jihlavy*, Prague, 2009, p. 8.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["patron saint","re-Catholicisation","Thirty Years' War","veduta"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"996c8cbc-b4e1-51f3-8b92-38f27863f839":{"name":"Bahram Gur hunts, slaying a lion and a lioness  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Freer” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) depicts a classical Sasanian image of kingly power by illustrating an episode in the life of the Sasanian kings: Bahram Gur (r. 420­–38).  \nBahram V, “that great hunter”, is depicted in the midst of hunting lions (instead of the onagers—in Persian, gur—the source of his nickname). This adventure had begun with the king’s dispatching the male lion with an arrow to the heart; the beast roared mightily as it expired, alerting its mate. She herself lunged at Bahram, clawing him, but not preventing him from drawing his sword to slay her, too. As so often in Firdausi’s tales of Bahram, the hunt was followed by feasting and wine, and the inevitable inebriation. On this occasion, however, inebriation led to disaster and Bahram, aghast, prohibited the drinking of wine. But shortly thereafter, when wine also made possible the taming of an escaped lion, the king reversed his prohibition.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"30.8 x 22.1cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animals","folio","Freer","hunting","lions","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"999586a0-c924-50ff-946c-368f78217139":{"name":"*The Prodigal Son*","description":"The painting only became part of the Borghese collection in the 19th century, having earlier been mentioned in the collection of Prince Lancellotti, although the details of its commissioning are unknown. The canvas (1627–1628) reworks an earlier piece completed 10 years before for Cardinal Serra in Ferrara.  \nThe subject is taken from the parable of the prodigal son from the Gospel of St. Luke (15, 11–32). It tells of the forgiveness of a father who welcomes his youngest son after he has squandered his inheritance and been reduced to poverty and hunger. The scene in the canvas focuses on the moment when the aged father, shown in the centre of the composition, having found his son in such miserable conditions – rendered with marked realism in the rags tied around his waist – orders his servant to give him decent clothing. The boy is in fact busy putting on a clean shirt. The idea of a return to domestic intimacy is suggested by the closed window, in which the painter accurately renders the reflection of light.  \nGuercino was able to portray this moment of family intimacy with great tenderness, in particular the detail of the dog resting his paws on the young man's lap, pleased that his master has returned home. The presence of the dog also enhances the symbolic idea of faithfulness often attributed to them, in accordance with allegorical custom in the Baroque tradition. This virtue is related to mercy according to the meaning given in the parable: the teaching that Christ imparted to his followers.  \nGuercino, renowned as a painter of emotions, clearly shows here the father's forgiveness; he believed that his son was dead before he found him. From a stylistic point of view, we can see the influence of Venetian colourism, which Guercino had acquired on his trip to Venice in 1618, and which the artists blends together in a measured composition of classical inspiration.","short_description":"In this painting, the colours are clearly influenced by Venetian art (Guercino stayed in Venice in 1618) combined with the more classical design of the figure.  \nGuercino, renowned as a painter of “emotions” here clearly represents the forgiveness of a father who believing his son to be dead, is re-united with him.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Lancellotti Collection","dates":"1627–1628","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 125 cm; w: 163 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.81, pp. 50–51.  \nBarchiesi, S., in *Guercino. Poesia e sentimento nella pittura del '600,* exhibition catalogue (Milan), Orio al Serio, 2003, cat. n.65, pp. 210–211.  \nPrasad, S., *Guercino. Stylistc evolution in focus*, exhibition catalogue, San Diego, 2006, cat. n. 2, p. 11.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","animal decoration","Christian themes","Classical model","Realism","symbol","Venetian influence","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9a4260ca-f3e0-515c-9030-1c9a6bb50ae0":{"name":"Portrait of a Prisoner","description":"Inji Efflatoun’s Portrait of a Prisoner can be used to discuss the two-sided nature of political development in Nasser’s Egypt. On one side, Nasser promoted anti-imperialism, national independence, modernization, and a state-led form of Arab socialism. On the other side, his regime did not tolerate independent political opposition, including communist and leftist activists. Efflatoun, who was a feminist, Marxist, and anti-colonial artist, was imprisoned between 1959 and 1963 during the regime’s campaign against communists. This work therefore shows the contradiction between a state that spoke in the name of social justice and a system that silenced some of those who also fought for it. The painting can be used to explain how modernization and repression can exist at the same time, and how art can make visible the human cost of political control.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"1960","location":"Doha","dimensions":"eight: 41 cm; width: 28 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/portrait-of-a-prisoner-mat20131634","keywords":["Egypt","political control","political opposition"],"materials":["Canvas","Oil paint","Wood"]},"9ab90117-bb9a-5811-9c4c-57b0013aa1e6":{"name":"*St. Donatus*","description":"At the end of the 17th century, the Imperial General Count Donat Heissler commissioned an altarpiece painting for the church of the Holy Virgin in Buda to commemorate his release from prison. Heissler was commander-in-chief of the imperial army fighting in Transylvania and died in 1696 in a battle against the Turks. He commissioned and donated this altarpiece painting dedicated to the patron saint of prisoners and of the city of Buda from 1724, St. Donatus, who appears as a Roman soldier. Angels floating above the clouds hold the signs of his martyrdom:  a knife and a vessel full of his blood. Below, Castle Hill in Buda is depicted, its tempestuous landscape hints at St. Donatus' role in protecting it.","short_description":"A Baroque altarpiece painting of St. Donatus against the stormy landscape backdrop of Castle Hill in Buda.","type":"Painting","holder":"Budapest History Museum","initial_owner":"The Church of the Holy Virgin, Buda","dates":"End of the 18th century","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 215 cm; w: 85 cm","place_of_production":"Hungary","method_for_datation":"By documents and the inscription on the painting","provenance":"Commissioned by Imperial General Count Donat Heissler and donated by him to the Church of the Holy Virgin in Buda","obtention":"Gifted to the Museum by the Church of the Holy Virgin in Buda.","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (*Budapest in the Modern Times*), (ed. G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, p.23.","author":"Beatrix Basics","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","angel","army","Buda","castle","Donat Heister","Madonna","martyr","martyrdom","painting","patron saint","soldier","St. Donatus","Transylvania","warfare"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9b5d3d0d-e554-56aa-a4ef-440d5f3ce35d":{"name":"Calligraphy mounted as album page","short_description":"The page with calligraphy and a floral border originally belonged to one of the albums compiled for the Mughal ruler Shahjahan (r. 1627-1658). The border consists of two overlapping tendrils with reduced foliage and a few stylised flower heads (peonies, lotuses and rosettes). With their golden contour lines and colours which allude to enamel, they are reminiscent of the pietra dura inlay work characteristic of the Shahjahan period. The tendril is enlivened by pairs of naturalistically rendered birds. It is this interplay of stylisation and naturalism that is important for the aesthetic appeal and visual pleasure.  \n  \nThe four-line calligraphy is the work of Mir ʿAli Haravi. Born in Herat in 1476, he became a pupil of Sultan ʿAli Mashhadi after his basic education. After the capture of Herat in 1528 by the Uzbeks, Mir ʿAli Haravi, who had achieved renown, was brought to Bukhara, where he worked until his death in 1556.  \n  \nAmong Mir ʿAli Haravi's great admirers was Shah Tahmasp's nephew Sultan Ibrahim Mirza (1540-1577), who owned several albums of the master scribe's calligraphy. Subsequently, the other great collector was Shahjahan and it is quite conceivable that some of his own Mir ʿAli calligraphies had formally been in the possession of Ibrahim Mirza.","type":"Album page","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Around 1987 Hashem Khorovani, Geneva, 1987-2004: art market, London","dates":"Hegira 935-955 (calligraphy), 1040-1050 (border) / AD 1530-1550 (calligraphy), 1630-1640 (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Heigth: 37.6cm, Width: 25.6cm","method_for_datation":"The border is typicall for albums that once belonged to the Mughal ruler, Shajahan. Their dating was established by various scholars in the past decades.","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2004.","provenance":"Usbekistan, Bukhara (calligraphy), India (border)","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg-Kreis","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"9bc17d75-b39a-5d67-9e00-8637ff14285a":{"name":"Persian miniature painting mounted as individual painting","alternate_name":"Shepers and nobles greeting a prince and princess on horseback","short_description":"The miniature was executed with opaque watercolours and can most probably be attributed to the Safavid artist Muhammad Qasim. The rural scene is dominated by a princely couple on horseback being greeted by six men of different ages accompanied by four women. There are great stylistic and compositional parallels to the so-called Windsor-*Shahnama*, which was completed in 1648 and has been in the possession of the English Crown since 1839. It is suggested that the miniature was originally intended as an illustration for this manuscript of the *Book of Kings*.  \n  \nThe border, richly decorated with arabesques, is quite probably the work of the Qajari illuminator Razi Taliqani. Such a conclusion has been drawn as it bares striking similarities to several comparable works by the artist that came onto the market in Paris and London at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century. Such a proliferation of his work in Europe are the fruits born by his collaboration with Sidney Churchill (1862-1921) in the second half of the 1880s. As a civil servant of the British Empire, Churchill was then working in Iran. The mounting on thick cardboard speaks against its use as part of an album (pers. *muraqqaʿ*), which is corroborated by remnants of brownish paper on the reverse: a technique that was typically used to cover the back side of small Western picture frames, normally used for graphic art or photographs.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"John Rutson (1829-1906)","dates":"Hegira mid-11th century / AD mid-17th century (miniature); Hegira late 13th century / AD late 19th century (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions: 34.2 x 28.5cm","method_for_datation":"By comparision with similar dated works, esp. the so-called Windsor *Shahnama* of 1648 and its partly signed illustrations as well as similarly framed objects from collections in Paris and London.","method_for_provenance":"The object bears a stamp with the initials JR of the previous owner. There are similar objects with comparable borders in public collections in Paris and London which have been published and whose history is known.","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan (miniature); Tehran (border)","obtention":"Purchased with funds of the Rietberg-Kreis","bibliography":"Carey, Moya, *Persian Art: Collecting the Arts of Iran for the V&A*, London: V&A Publishing, 2017.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"9bc77e5d-4437-5fe8-99a0-82dd01f0d23c":{"name":"He who Gives the Drink","description":"The artistic work entitled *He Who Gives the Drink* (1979) by the artist Mohanna Durra, which is currently on display at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, is a prime example of Durra's unique combination of social realism and expressive modernism. The image portrays an elderly man attired in traditional Jordanian clothing, meticulously pouring a beverage (potentially water or tea) into a bowl. This unassuming, quotidian act evolves into a poignant meditation on human generosity, humility, and resilience. Durra's adept handling of light and shadow accentuates the man's weathered face and hands, lending spiritual gravity to an intimate, commonplace gesture.  \nThe warm colour scheme, characterised by ochres and browns, interspersed with soft blues, serves to evoke the arid yet luminous atmosphere of Jordan's landscape. The architectural background, which is not rendered with great precision, situates the figure within a traditional urban setting, reminiscent of the old quarters of Amman. The subdued brushstrokes and tonal gradations capture both the material texture of the scene and the emotional depth of the subject, characteristics that are indicative of Durra's mature style.  \nThis painting is indicative of the artist's sustained interest in the dignity of labour and the moral strength of ordinary people. Durra's depiction of such figures positions him within a broader movement in Middle Eastern modern art that seeks to honour local identity through everyday realism. His work *He Who Gives the Drink* engages in a profound visual dialogue on charity, endurance and the cultural ethos of giving that defines Jordanian and Arab life.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 1407 / AD 1986","location":"Amman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/faik-hassan/#artwork-2","keywords":["drink","man","seller","water"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9c3f798c-5e8a-5a8a-b7a4-72ba45140b9d":{"name":"*Paulines at Prayer*","description":"Their hands clasped in prayer, the Pauline brothers kneel on a paved balustraded terrace in a garden in front of a row of vases on pedestals with flowers in them, with palm trees behind them arranged in shortened perspective. The perspective of the composition, based on two intersecting linear scenes, shows the vision of the patron of the Paulines and St Paul the Hermit in a cave on the lawn. The vision of the Patron of the Paulines depicts the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist and the *Agnus Dei* with His leg curved around a flag with a cross.  \nThe use of perspective, accentuated by the row of classical pedestals, evokes an earlier style. The foreshortening decreases the depth of the scene and emphasises the initial pair of brothers and the first pedestal, which brings them closer to the front of the painting. The morphology and typology of the Pauline brother figures, St Paul the Hermit and the ornamental motifs on the vases together with the flowers in them, suggest a date of around 1740, being elements of the Baroque style. The work is in the style of the lay brother and painter, Ivan Ranger. Ranger, regarded as one of Croatia's greatest Baroque painters is most famous for his frescoes, which he painted in enormous numbers. Ranger was already a trained artist when he arrived at the Lepoglava monastery from Tyrol. The Pauline Order accommodated a number of lay brothers in their monasteries, comprising painters, sculptors, cabinet-makers and other masters of the arts and crafts. They produced works for the interiors of churches and monasteries in the monastery workshops.  \nLepoglava was the largest and most important Pauline monastery in Croatia. It was the main centre for educational and cultural learning, with a Latin grammar school and was the first Academy awarded the right to confer doctorates. The Paulines, together with the Jesuits, played a key role in promoting Baroque art and culture in Croatia.","short_description":"The altarpiece, depicting the Pauline brothers in a garden praying in front of flower vases, is probably the work of the lay brother and painter Ivan Ranger, a trained artist who came from Tyrol. Ranger – who joined the Pauline Order in Lepoglava and remained there until he died – is regarded as one of Croatia’s greatest Baroque painters. He is especially famous for his frescoes, which decorate many Pauline interiors as well as other churches and monasteries. The Lepoglava monastery was the main centre of the Pauline Order. It had a grammar school and was the first Academy awarded the right to confer doctorates. Together with the Jesuits, the Paulines played a key role in advancing Baroque art and culture in Croatia.","type":"Painted altarpiece, *antependium*","holder":"Diocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese","owner":"Zagreb Archdiocese","initial_owner":"Pauline monastery, Lepoglava","dates":"About 1740","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 87 cm; w: 153.5 cm","place_of_production":"Made in the painting workshop of the Pauline monastery, Lepoglava","method_for_datation":"From the Pauline Monastery estate, the attribution and date were established from the characteristics of morphology, style and typology.","provenance":"Pauline monastery, Lepoglava","obtention":"The Diocesan Museum in Zagreb was founded in 1939 to safe-keep church artworks that for various reasons were in danger of devastation. This altarpiece was placed in the museum to preserve it.","bibliography":"*Kultura pavlina u Hrvatskoj 1244–1786* (Culture of the Paulines in Croatia 1244–1786), exhibition catalogue, Zagreb, 1989, p. 409.","workshop":"Painting workshop of the Pauline monastery, Lepoglava","author":"Nela Tarbuk","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Antependium","Counter-Reformation","education","garden","Jesuit","Pauline","religious schools","teaching","workshop"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9ca1f06f-1319-5325-a4ed-ef2842c72ef4":{"name":"The Horse, the 50s spring","description":"Horses and camels were the traditional means of travel for nomadic and semi-nomadic groups in the Hijaz and Levant for generations. While the Hijaz Railway meant to industrialise the pilgrim travel from Damascus to Medina, quadrupeds remained an essential part of the pilgrimage route, as well as vital resources for the construction of the railway itself. While the railway served as a mechanised replacement for their labour, horses and camels remained vital to the path of the railway before, during and after its construction.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","owner":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"Undated","location":"Amman","dimensions":"Height: 59 cm; width: 80 cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/afaf-hijazi/#artwork-2","keywords":["Camels","Hijaz Railway","horses","Nomadic/ Semi-nomadic Groups","pilgrimage","Transportation"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9d51960b-dfb8-57bd-aa72-d264926dc7d8":{"name":"The Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the Temple","description":"This icon shows the presentation, or entrance, of the Virgin Mary into the temple. The story derives from the apocryphal book of James and is one of the 12 major feasts of the liturgical year, celebrated on November 21. This icon shows the child Mary before the priest Zacharias, father of John the Baptist. Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim, stand with a group of maidens who also serve in the temple. Mary is seen again in the sacristy being approached by an angel.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1650","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 100.9cm, Width: 78cm, Depth: 6cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2007. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Biblical stories","Religious iconography"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"9e1f46e4-2853-5545-a194-7e72c163548f":{"name":"Concerning the punishment of an *Idolator* (one of the weak Muslims)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM40), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio reveals one of the abiding mysteries of the manuscript: here, similar to a group of other dispersed folios, an illustration appears in place of a block of missing text.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.8 x 22.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"9faeadc1-e075-5681-bdc1-072dabd412c6":{"name":"Miniature 'Wine-Server' ('Portrait of a Young Man')","short_description":"According to the inscription in the lower left corner of the composition, the author of the painting is Reza Abbasi, the most prominent Iranian artist of the AD 17th century. The founder of the new style of painting and the head of the famous Isfahan school, Reza Abbasi has departed from the bright decorative colours of the classic Persian miniature and turned to a more restrained and unusual palette. He chose a thin and sensitive calligraphic line as his main means of expression. Wine-server (Persian: *saqi*) - a young man who served at banquets, pouring wine to guests. A flask in a form of a gourd in his right hand testifies to his role. The man is dressed in a malachite green robe. An orange silk scarf is untied and carelessly thrown over his shoulders. His full face, dreamy staring eyes, curls falling down on cheeks, small gentle hands and graceful posture, the smooth curves of which seem to echo the flexible lines of plants - all correspond to the traditional type of an effeminate youth-*saqi*.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 1627–1628","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 22.3cm, Width: 13.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Bilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nCanby, Sheila R. *The Rebeeious Reformer: The Drawings and Paintings of Riza-Yi Abbasi of Isfahan*, London: Azimuth Editions, 1996.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nNewman, Andrew (ed), *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period*, Leiden: Brill, 2003.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Reza Abbasi workshop","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","miniature","Reza Abbasi","Safavid"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"9fdcf747-a0f7-5bde-8142-f71208183658":{"name":"*St. Peter Freed from Prison*","description":"The work describes an episode in the life of Peter told in the Acts of the Apostles that took place during the unbridled persecution exercised by Herod. Imprisoned and guarded by two soldiers, the apostle is freed by an angel, who invites him to get up and guides him to safety outside the city walls without anyone seeing him. This miraculous feat is described using a basic but unusual composition, eliminating all characters other than the two protagonists. Foreshortening at the bottom of the painting brings the feet and the hand chained to the stump into the foreground, and the low viewpoint highlights the sudden appearance of the angel, who practically inspires in the viewer the same wonderment we see on the face of the saint, ragged and tired, on being woken so unexpectedly.  \nIn the 1790 inventory of the Borghese collection, the painting was described as the work of “Monsù Valentin”. The piece reworks some ideas typical of Caravaggism, such as realism based on a few details and the use of light as a tool for building the scene. The angel stretches out towards Peter and, rather than floating, appears to rest on a thick blanket of clouds, as if he is actually ready to lift up the old apostle. The Lombard artist's training was somewhat fragmented, taking him first to Rome, then to Venice, before joining Francesco Albani, one of the painters who best represents Bolognese classicism. Around the middle of the century, in 1656 and 1657, he also worked with Pietro da Cortona on the decoration of the Gallery of Alexander VII in the Quirinal Palace, becoming, along with Pietro Testa (“il Lucchesino”) and Nicolas Poussin, one of the main exponents of the Neo-Venetian styles of Roman Baroque painting.","short_description":"The painter – a follower of Caravaggio – was first influenced by Francesco Albani from Bologna and later by Pietro da Cortona. The lowered point of view highlights the sudden descent of the angel, inspiring in the viewer the same wonderment that can be seen on the face of the saint, who is ragged and exhausted in his sudden awakening.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"c. 1640–50","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 193 cm; w: 143 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.155, p. 106.  \nCocke, R., *Pier Francesco Mola*, Oxford, 1972, p. 69.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bolognese influence","Caravaggio","cult of martyrdom","Realism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"a0292759-10a9-5092-8afb-5b3e2db3b197":{"name":"*Presentation of the Child in the Temple*","description":"The production of knotted carpets in Portugal has been documented since the 14th century, mostly in association with the Moorish community. With the expulsion of the Muslims and Jews in 1496 by King Manuel I (1469‒1521; r.1495‒1521), the Portuguese carpet workshops were inevitably abandoned and the manufacturing tradition was lost. Aside from local production, Portuguese consumers imported high-quality items as well. This ensured the supply of luxury goods to the wealthier clientele. Despite that Spanish carpets were esteemed throughout the 15th century, according to representations in paintings, by the second quarter of the 16th century, they were replaced by Ottoman carpets produced in the regions of Anatolia and Uşak.  \nAlthough, surprisingly, there are no surviving examples of this type of carpet in Portugal, its presence in paintings, as well as in other documentary sources such as in inventories, confirms their presence in Portuguese interiors, thus enabling us to identify the patterns and original colours of the imported carpets. This is the case with this painting, where a Turkish carpet, placed on the floor near the altar, displays most probably a “small-pattern Holbein” design: it comprises a repeated pattern of alternating quatrefoils and octagonal medallions, with *kufic* script motifs represented in detail on the red border.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","dates":"1538","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 140cm, W: 95.5cm","method_for_datation":"Technical information provided by José Alberto Seabra de Carvalho","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis and material dating","provenance":"Portugal, unknown location","obtention":"Transferred from the Convent of Santa Joana, Lisbon, Portugal, at an unknown date","bibliography":"Hallett, Jessica and Pereira, Teresa Pacheco, *The Oriental Carpet in Portugal: Carpets and paintings, 15th‒18th centuries*, Lisbon: MNAA, 2007.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Ana Kol","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["carpet","Garcia Fernandes","painting","Portugal","Presentation in the Temple","the Annunciation"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"a15b7e00-538c-5aa8-a826-c4febf856606":{"name":"In the Desert","alternate_name":"*Nel deserto*","description":"Cesare Biseo was a decorator and a realistic painter. He was sent to Egypt in 1870 to decorate the Theatre of the Opera in Cairo, where the painter Stefano Ussi also was working. In 1877 Biseo took part in the diplomatic delegation in Morocco with Ussi and de Amicis. Biseo’s painting *In the Desert* shows an exotic Verismo style of painting and is an example of the high status oriental paintings had in those years with the rise of Italian interests in colonialisation. The painting was bought by the Italian state in 1890 and displayed in the National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome in 1907.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1889","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"a16290fe-5502-55e2-82db-8e2fe1c592e5":{"name":"*The Saints Mark, St. Anthony Abbot and St. Sebastian*","description":"The painting was commissioned to Ubaldo for the church of St. Mark in Vigorso di Budrio (Bo). Saint Mark, clad in bright red is shown looking for inspiration for the Gospel, next to him is a lion, the emblem of the saint. In the foreground St. Sebastian is tied to a column, his body pierced by an arrow while an angel is handing him the palm of martyrdom. Nearby is St. Anthony Abbot with his classic attributes; the fire, the bell and the pig. The composition is very simple and clear. The light comes from one direction and symbolises the light of God to which the evangelist points. The painter is inspired by the great Bolognese school, in particular Guercino and Ludovico Carracci, and to the Venetian school.","short_description":"The painting shows St. Mark writing the gospel, St. Sebastian tied to the column and St. Anthony the Abbot.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of St. Gervasius and Protasius","initial_owner":"Parish church","dates":"1773","location":"Pieve di Budrio, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"221 x 145 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The step in the lower middle is inscribed “U.G.F. 1773” (Ubaldus Gandulfius fecit 1773).","provenance":"Vigorso di Budrio, Bologna","obtention":"The painting has been moved from the original church to the present one for safety reasons.","bibliography":"Gandolfi, G. in *Gaetano e Ubaldo Gandolfi. Opere scelte* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. D. Biagi Maino), Turin, 2002, p. 89.  \nBiagi Maino, D.*Ubaldo* *Gandolfi*, Turin, 1990, p. 261.  \nVolpe, C. “I Gandolfi”, *L'arte del Settecento emiliano. La pittura, l'Accademia Clementina* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. A.Emiliani), Bologna, 1979, p. 100.  \nRoli, R. *Pittura bolognese 1650-1800. Dal Cignani ai Gandolfi*, Bologna, 1977, p. 265.  \nServetti Donati, F. *Budrio casa nostra,* Budrio (Bo), 1977, p. 250.","workshop":"Bolognese Late baroque","copyright":"Copyright image: Ufficio Beni culturali ecclesiastici della diocesi di Bologna.","author":"Giulia Gandolfi","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Academic art","Altarpiece","Christian themes","cult of martyrdom","Religious/liturgical painting","St. Anthony Abbot","St. Mark","St. Sebastian","Vigorso di Budrio"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"a17d79fa-1dd1-53bc-a161-d603dcc4f9c6":{"name":"A richly dressed woman","short_description":"This painting of a richly dressed woman is traditionally associated with the painting of a Persian noble. Contrary to him, it has not yet been possible to determine her ethnic origin.  \n  \nThe way the paint is applied in multiple layers as well as the strong Chiaroscuro clearly reveal that the painter was trained in Europe. This is also indicated by the fact that the painter mixed the wet colours directly on the canvas and executed the highlights in thick lead white. Equally European is the sombre palette and a preference for shaded hues. They stand in stark contrast to the Persian predilection for pure, luminous colours.  \n  \nThese two paintings are possibly two of the extremely rare, if not the only, known examples of pictures painted by European artists in Persia. We know from the sources that several painters from Europe, especially from the Netherlands, worked in the 17th century for the Shahs.","type":"Oil painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"1970s-2013: European private collection","dates":"Hegira Late 11th century / AD Late 17th century","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 27.5cm, Width: 21.5cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with European painting techniques.","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2013.","provenance":"Probably Iran","obtention":"Acquisition with funds from bequest of Gabriele Louise Aino Schnetzer","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, *The Fascination of Persia: The Persian-European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art & Contemporary Art from Tehran*, exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2012: 168-169, cat. 65.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"a25c5878-db0c-5a19-af52-c86b77db879b":{"name":"Pencase","short_description":"Like Muhammad Baqir (active Hegira 1160s-1204 / 1750s-1790), Muhammad Sadiq is one of the best-known Persian artists of the 18th century. He was also a pupil of Muhammad ʿAli Ashraf (active Hegira ca. 1134-1190 / AD ca. 1722-1777). The pen box is signed with his typical formula “*ya sadiq al-vaʿd*” that alludes to the painter’s namesake, the sixth Shiʿi Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq.  \n  \nThe lid and side wall of the pencase are painted with four figurative scenes starring three young women led by what appears to be a kind of princess. It is likely that the scenes tell a single story. It is not clear, however, whether they illustrate a literary work or whether they bear a philosophical meaning. It seems at least that the young women are on a kind of spiritual journey, leading from worldly pleasures to mystical fulfilment.  \n  \nSimilar to Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Sadiq quotes here from works by Muhammad Zaman (active Hegira ca. 1072-1105 / AD ca. 1662-1694) and ʿAliquli Jabadar (active Hegira 1059-1086 / AD 1649-1675) as well as Zaman’s brother Haji Muhammad (active Hegira 1084-1124 / AD 1673-1712).","type":"Pencase","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"1990s-2019: Masoud Etemadi, UK; 2019","dates":"Hegira 1195 / AD 1781/82","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 23.7cm, Width: 3.7cm, Height: 3.5cm","method_for_datation":"The artist signed and dated his work.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owner was provided by Sotheby's where the object was bought in 2019.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Acquisition","bibliography":"Ivanov, Anatoly, “The Compiling and Decoration of the Album”, in Francesca von Habsburg and Elena Kostioukovitch (eds), *The St. Petersburg Muraqqaʿ: Album of Indian and Persian Miniatures from the 16th through the 18th Century and Specimens of Persian Calligraphy by ʿImad al-Hasani*, Lugano/Milan: ARCH Foundation and Leonardo Arte, 1996: 19-32.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["lacquer","Opaque watercolour","Papier maché"]},"a507b49f-de2b-5383-b587-8eef58a18a27":{"name":"\"Amr has the Infidels Thrown into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khavarannama (The Book of the East) of ibn Husam al-Din","description":"This painting, with its vibrant color palette and lively action, is taken from a manuscript of the Khavarannama (Book of the East), a gathering of tales relating the adventures of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. These mostly imaginary accounts of the exploits of 'Ali and his companions against demons, dragons, and kings were composed in emulation of the great Persian poet Firdausi’s Shahnama, but have the important religious figure of 'Ali as their main protagonist.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Hassan Khan Monif, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH ca. 881-891 / AD ca. 1476–86","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 39.8 cm, width: 28.6 cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Sachau, H., Ed; Ethe, ed. \"Part I: The Persian Manuscripts.\" In *Catalogue of Persian, Turkish, Hindustani, and Pushtu Manuscripts.* Oxford: Bodleian Libraries, (1889).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *A Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian Paintings in the Bodleain Library.*, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, no.47, (1962).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *Persian Miniature Painting : from collections in the British Isles.*, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., *Imperial Images in Persian Painting.*, Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council Gallery, 1977.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451324","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"a5415d97-5be6-5b62-af8d-da90cb25b7f5":{"name":"Sufi assembly","short_description":"The miniature features a nocturnal landscape with a dervish surrounded by six male characters wearing costumes typical of the age of Shah Abbas I (1588-1629). The exquisite finesse of the drawing is enhanced by the subdued colour range, the gold highlights and the beautiful *nasta'liq* calligraphy of the Persian verses: ‘Don’t drink the wine-cup, for every drop is a king’s blood,/Don’t listen to the music, for every tune is just a tale of sorrow./The night has fallen; the drunken feast has neither lamp nor candle; /Join us, for the gathering of maids most fair is pleasant.’ (Translated into English from the Romanian version by Viorel Bageacu, 1987). The verses, as well as the image, are replete with Sufi symbolism.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira early 11th century / AD early 17th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Height: 12.7cm, Width: 6cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Donated by Prof. George Oprescu in 1960.","bibliography":"Beldescu, A., *Manuscrise persane în colecţii din România*, Bucharest: Editura Meridiane, 1987: 49 no. 13.","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["Sufi"],"materials":["Ink","wash and gold on paper"]},"a57ada78-0cee-53e5-9161-c701a353df82":{"name":"*The Coffee Shop*","description":"Coffee shops in the Near and Middle East were regular meeting places for men, who could while away hours chatting, playing domino, smoking and – crucially if dangerously – talking politics. In early 20th century Cairo as elsewhere, spedific cafes became important hubs for social and political discourse.This painting shows a traditional Near Eastern street café. Customers are sitting on long benches in front of its wooden openwork facade, A waiter with a red fez carries a brass coffee pot (dallah) and a tray. Behind him, through the wooden screen, the preparation area, in which the coffee is made, can just be seen on the left. A man wearing a white turban and blue gown, perhaps the proprietor, looks out on the right. All present are captivated by a carpet seller, who is standing in front of the cafe, offering up his wares.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Late 19th / early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"a5972045-60f7-5320-a28d-a171b75b6a68":{"name":"*Ecce Homo*","description":"The work may have been commissioned directly from the artist by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. It is first documented in his collection in 1613. In the canvas, the story of the Passion of Christ is transformed for the viewer into a subject of meditation. Light suffuses the body of Christ in a diagonal line high-lit by the hem of the red cloak held up by the executioner. We see the regal symbols that Christ was forced to wear, the crown of thorns, the reed sceptre and the red cloak as signs of mockery and derision, with which the Gospels tell us Pontius Pilate presented his prisoner to the crowd with the words “*Ecce homo*” (“Behold the man”). Along with the column (representing flagellation), and hammer and nails, which anticipate the crucifixion, the scene is transformed from a historical account into a meditative subject designed to inspire among the faithful feelings of compassion and shared pain with the martyr. The executioner, awkward and unrefined next to the beauty of Christ's face, is placed in the darkness – both literally and spiritually – as one who does not recognise the divinity of the Son of God. The capacity to inspire reflection on the dogma of faith while simultaneously engaging the viewer emotionally is the basis of the ethos of the Counter-Reformation. Communication of feelings and affections was also fundamental to the development of Baroque art.  \nIn this piece, Giovanni Baglione emphasises the dramatic sense of the scene through the use of *chiaroscuro* developed by Caravaggio and his followers from their experiments undertaken in Rome in the first years of the 17th century. On the other hand, Christ's face, gazing towards the heavens in a mood of total acceptance of divine will, reflects the more delicate and idealised style of the Carracci school, in particular Guido Reni.","short_description":"The theme of derision is shown in comparison with those who don’t recognise Christ as the Son of God, sent to earth to save mankind. The scene sends a very clear message against the Reformation. Although the subject is intended for meditation, its theatrical style is a prelude to the drama expressed in Baroque art.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"1606–1610","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 163 cm; w: 116 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.97, p. 66.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., in *Titian to Tiepolo: Three Centuries of Italian Art*, exhibition catalogue (Canberra, Melbourne), Milan, 2002, cat. 48, pp. 148–149.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","Reformation","symbolism"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"a5ace29e-e1bf-5a09-9df7-66c7741b63b4":{"name":"*Odalisque*","description":"Sepia drawing representing odalisque, based on an epoch engraving. Painted by Joaquim José de Oliveira, Victor Rousseau’s disciple and master of painting and drawing of the Vista Alegre Factory, between 1869 and 1881.","type":"Drawing","holder":"Vista Alegre Museum","dates":"After 1869","location":"Vista Alegre, Ílhavo"},"a5c93080-d37b-5926-ad79-2d9bb61932f2":{"name":"*The Grand Bazaar*","description":"Amadeo Preziosi often presented genre scenes from Istanbul in his unique style. Specifically, he incorporated diverse scenes from the Bazaar in a number of his paintings. This venue, particular to Istanbul, has been of great interest to western artists, and in Edmondo De Amicis’s words “is not just a building but a town”. The Grand Bazaar, which housed shops for a wide range of commercial goods and catered to almost all of the needs of customers, offered an incredible visual richness and diversity to the western artist. A reflection of this opulence is also evident in Preziosi’s painting, which includes numerous details from daily life.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Second half of the 19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"a6e38d56-3857-5b4e-a7be-06bb9cacae78":{"name":"*The Petition Writer*","description":"Osman Hamdi focused on dilemmas such as East and West, love and hate, life and death. While stylistically reminiscent of western Orientalist painters, his works reflect a more nuanced appreciation of Ottoman society and culture. He also gave importance to details while reflecting the colourful scenes of Turkish culture, traditional architecture, Ottoman fashion and domestic and social life of the women in the Ottoman Empire. And it’s obvious that he is the first painter who used human figures in the western style.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"a88e90bf-7959-5aa6-a673-2e933380fad8":{"name":"*Mourning over the Dead Christ*","description":"In 1592 the Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral of Milan contracted with Federico Barocci for an altarpiece. The *Mourning over the Dead Christ* was officially commissioned for the altar of Saint Giovanni Buono in 1600. Unfortunately, the painter was already quite old, ill and had many personal problems. When he died, in 1612, the work was left unfinished.  \nThe great picture was carried to Milan in 1628 to be completed by a different artist. This project was blocked by the plague of 1630, and in 1739 the painting was finally exhibited on the altar without any further intervention. In 1763 it was moved and sold to the abbot Antonio Magnani who donated it the Municipality of Bologna.  \nMany surviving drawings document the long and careful work in the creation of this painting. The figures are all gathered around the dead body of Christ, who is lying in the lower portion of the painting. The wide architecture above, which was planned to have been occupied by two flying angels, is empty and barely sketched. The dead body of Christ is sometimes compared to the *Pietà* painted by Annibale Carracci. Shining colours are reminiscent of the mannerist style and the figures express a strong emotional tension that was intended to be felt by the faithful watching the picture. This is following the rules of Counter-reformation art policy.","short_description":"This great piece was commissioned in 1600 by the Chapter of the Cathedral of Milan to Federico Barocci. He is known as one of the most significant Italian painters working between the movements of Mannerism and Counter-reformation. When he died, in 1612, the work was not finished. The architecture in the background is barely sketched, the figures gather around the body of the dead Christ in full light, the focus is on strong emotional turmoil.","type":"Painting","holder":"Collezioni Comunali d'Arte","owner":"Library of the Archiginnasio (deposit)","initial_owner":"Chapter of the Cathedral of Milan","dates":"1600–1612","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"410 X 288 cm","place_of_production":"Urbino","method_for_datation":"The complex story of this patronage is documented by the annals of the Cathedral of Milan; we learn that the artist received 200 scudi on the 22nd April 1600. However, in 1608 he had only made a preparatory cartoon and some sketches. When he died the work was left unfinished.","provenance":"Milan","obtention":"The painting was bequest to the library of the Archigimnasium in 1811 by the abbot Antonio Magnani; deposited in the Pinacoteca Nazionale it was returned to the Municipality of Bologna in 2002. It is now exhibited in the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte.","bibliography":"Olsen, H. *Federico Barocci*, Copenhagen, 1962, pp. 217-220, fig. 72.  \nValsecchi, M. \"Le pitture del Duomo di Milano\", *Il Duomo di Milano*, Milan, 1973, pp. 185-186, p. 188, p. 192.  \nEmiliani, A. *Federico Barocci* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. A. Emiliani), Bologna, 1975, pp. 228-231, fig. 280.  \nEmiliani, A. *Federico Barocci (Urbino 1535-1612)*, Bologna, 1985, pp. 389-399.  \nTurner, N. *Federico Barocci*, Paris, 2000, pp. 131-133.","workshop":"Early baroque","author":"Elisabetta Berselli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Cathedral of MIlan","Counter reformation","Federico Barocci","Pietà","Religious/liturgical painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"a909a05f-2311-5dcb-acdb-59719da1889b":{"name":"Rustam Slaying the White Div","short_description":"Rustam is one of the most popular heroes of the *Shahnama*, the Book of Kings. In it, Ferdausi tells how Rustam must perform seven heroic deeds, the last of which is to kill the White Div and cut his liver out of his body to heal the blind Shah Kai Kavus. Rustam receives help from his hostage Olad, whom Rustam has tied to a tree, revealing to Rustam the appropriate time to defeat the White Div.  \n  \nThe iconography of the scene has remained more or less the same over the centuries, it is also one of the most frequently illustrated episodes from the *Shahnama*.  \n  \nSeveral characteristic features of this page speak for its origin in Shiraz. Attributes, such as the extension of the illustration beyond the type area, the nebulous outline of the lines of text in interspersed flowers on gold, as well as the inclusion of other figures not mentioned in the text, all strongly indicate that its provenance was the Shiraz School.  \n  \nIn the Safavid period, Shiraz could already look back on a long tradition of painting. This creative cultural heritage was reinforced in the late 1560's by a commercial boom in manuscript production, resulting in illustrations visibly gaining in quality and converging with courtly painting in Qazvin and Mashhad. The development of the Schiraz School specifically, which expanded so magnificently in the period from 1570 to 1590, is probably also connected with Prince Muhammad, who was governor of Shiraz from 1572 to 1578 before ascending to the Persian throne as Ismaʿil II.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Until 2008, private collection, Japan","dates":"Hegira 983-993 / AD 1575-85","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar works from Shiraz whose time of production could be established through historical facts and stylistic features.","method_for_provenance":"Information obtained from previous owner was provided by the gallery where the object was sold in 2008.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Lale, Uluç, “Selling to the Court: Late Sixteenth-Century Manuscript Production in Shiraz”, *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 73-96.","workshop":"Shiraz","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"a9ca7e9d-4c7b-5b08-a2ab-9b56d4a9868f":{"name":"Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II","short_description":"The miniature painting “Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. In its bottom left-hand corner, this painting is attributed to Siyavush.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"40.4 x 29.8cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","minature-painting","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","silver and ink on paper"]},"a9e17673-d137-5b5c-89ad-8c71949fda7f":{"name":"*Maria Varasdiniensis*","description":"The figures of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus are hieratically positioned front-on. Beneath a textile canopy edged with labrequin, the ends of the drapes lifted and knotted, both wear conical cloaks, white wigs and crowns. At the top of the canopy is a gold ring with rays, upon which is the dove of the Holy Spirit with outspread wings. The ornamentation on the cloaks of both Mary and Jesus are motifs from the beginning of the 18th century, mostly acanthus and other foliate scrolls. In the middle of each of their cloaks is a painted gold heart within which are their individual monograms. On the other hand, the faces and wigs of both Mary and Jesus already show Rococo characteristics.  \nThe representation of Mary and Jesus in conical cloaks is a votive scene that first appeared during the Baroque period. More usually stiff cloaks scattered with floral motifs and adorned with jewellery such as chains and pendants hang over the cloaks like garlands.  \nOne of the foremost characteristics of the Pauline order was its veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which resulted in her central place in their iconography. In 1672 there were 80 churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  \nThis votive painting of Mary, which hung above the pulpit in the nave of Lepoglava church, was probably intended for Varaždin as the Virgin Mary was its patron.","short_description":"A crowned Mary and Child Jesus stand front-on under a textile canopy. They both wear white wigs and conical cloaks richly decorated with gold hearts within which are their monograms. This votive-type Virgin and Child first appeared during the Baroque period.  \nThe Pauline Order especially revered the cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her portrayal had a central place in their iconography.","type":"Devotional painting","holder":"Diocese Museum of the Zagreb Archdiocese","initial_owner":"Pauline Monastery, Lepoglava","dates":"Second quarter of the 18th century","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 94.5 cm; w: 66.5 cm","place_of_production":"Lepoglava","method_for_datation":"From analysis of style.","obtention":"The painting came from the former Pauline Church in Lepoglava, Hrvatsko zagorje and gifted to the Diocesan Museum in Zagreb in 1940.","bibliography":"Baričević, D., *Bogorodice u zvonolikom plaštu* (Madonna in a Bell-Shaped Cloak), Zagreb, 1983.  \n*Kultura pavlina u Hrvatskoj. Katalog izložbe* (Culture of the Paulines in Croatia), exhibition catalogue, Zagreb, 1989.","author":"Nela Tarbuk","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","conical Madonna","floral decoration","jewellery","Lepoglava","Pauline Order","vegetal decoration","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"aa631f7f-3808-586d-b316-c8c2c17e2045":{"name":"The Royal Doors","description":"In Russian Orthodox churches, the sanctuary, which contains the altar, is separated from the nave by a wall or screen called an iconostasis. A typical iconostasis has three doors. The “angel doors” are located on the right and left sides and sometimes depict the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The “royal doors” are located in the center of the iconostasis and can only be entered at certain points during liturgical services by ordained clergy members. The use of the royal doors varies by local tradition, but they are typically opened during the reading of the Gospel and distribution of the Eucharist. The royal doors typically depict the Annunciation while the four evangelists are shown on four separate panels.  \nThis set includes the symbol for each evangelist: Saint John is shown with a lion, Saint Luke with an ox, Saint Matthew with a man and Saint Mark with an eagle, following the famous interpretation of Saint Irenaeus (c.120-202). The symbol for Saint Mark is different than the one depicted in The Mother of God of the Burning Bush icon in this collection, reflecting a difference in the interpretation of biblical texts by the iconographers for each image.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1600","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 155cm, Width: 42.5cm, Depth: 4cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2013. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Allegorical and symbolical figures","Angels","Religious iconography","Virgin Mary"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"aa71143e-7119-5bbe-91ff-c1d89f9994c6":{"name":"*Ecstasy of St. Catherine of Siena*","description":"The painting, which because of its small size was undoubtedly intended for private worship, is first listed in the Borghese Collection in 1790. The canvas shows St. Catherine of Siena, who belonged to the order founded by St. Dominic, who died in 1380 and was canonised in 1461.  \nThe saint is shown with her typical attributes: the crown of thorns, heart, crucifix and lily, plus a representation of the stigmata, which she received on 1 April 1375. The luminous background highlights the figure, which is arranged along a diagonal line inspired by the work of Correggio.  \nThe two angels that hold the saint emphasise the spirituality of her ecstasy, nonetheless returning her to reality. The work is rendered with great sensitivity by Agostino (who founded the renowned *Accademia degli Incamminati* in Bologna with his brother Annibale and cousin Ludovico).  \nAgostino's work uses the natural world as a model. The canvas, usually dated to the final decade of the 16th century, is perfectly consistent with the dictates imposed on artistic production in the Counter-Reformation, stating that representations of saints must inspire compassion, the spirit of emulation and prayer among the faithful.","short_description":"The canvas shows the ecstasy of St. Catherine of Siena, who belonged to the Dominican order. Here the saint is shown with her usual attributes, similar to the Passion of Christ (crown of thorns, wounded heart, crucifix and – surprisingly – the stigmata that Catherine received in 1375). Agostino Carracci, who founded the renowned *Accademia degli Incamminati* in Bologna with his brother Annibale and cousin Ludovico, is one of the exponents of the naturalism movement, in place of the extreme realism of the art of Caravaggio and his followers.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"Late 16th century","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 90 cm; w: 69 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Borghese Collection (1790)","obtention":"Acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.11, pp. 18–19.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["academy","Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","devotional painting","Dominicans","religious object","religious orders"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"aaf8ceca-6748-56dc-9931-1bdfb87139eb":{"name":"Altarpiece: The Builder Shows King Ladislav (St. Ladislaus) the Drawings of the Cathedral","description":"The large wooden winged altarpiece of St. Ladislav (St. Ladislaus) held a cycle of 12 paintings depicting the Life of St Ladislav; 10 of them are extant today. The winged doors, painted on both sides with eight surfaces, closed off the main niche of the retable.  \nHungarian-Croatian King Ladislav I of the Arpad dynasty (c.1040–1095) founded the Zagreb diocese in 1094.  \nThe iconographic programme of the paintings is outstanding, mixing traditional scenes from the history of Ladislav, with a post-Trent interpretation, reinterpreted by the painter who depicts the king as a saint; a merciful saint who was canonised in 1192.  \nAccording to the wishes of the bishop who commissioned it, most of the cycle refers to the domestic milieu – referring to its history – contemporary aspirations relating to the unification of the country and the establishment of the diocese of Zagreb.  \nThe painting, *The Builder Shows King Ladislav the Drawings of the Cathedral* depicts King Ladislav wearing a crown, and the builder showing the king a drawing of the cathedral roof as it is being built. Two barely visible male figures also take part. A large cathedral (later demolished) was built in the 12th century on the site of a smaller one from Ladislav's time. A similar scene, *St. Ladislav Shows a Cathedral with Two Towers to the Virgin*, embellishes the Chapter's oldest seal dating to the 13th century.","short_description":"A painted scene from the Life of St. Ladislav cycle, which links the legend of King Ladislav I of the Arpad Dynasty (around 1040–1095) with Croatian history, and accentuates the foundation of the diocese of Zagreb in about 1094.","type":"Painting, part of a cycle for the winged altarpiece of St. Ladislav","holder":"City Museum, Zagreb","initial_owner":"Zagreb Cathedral; the altarpiece was commissioned by Bishop Aleksandar Ignacij Mikulić (1688–1694). The side altarpiece of St. Ladislav was originally housed in the northern apse of the cathedral.","dates":"About 1690","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 161.5 cm; w: 107.5 cm","place_of_production":"Zagreb","method_for_datation":"Bishop Mikulić ordered gilding and painting for the altarpiece In 1690. The painting and sculptural parts were already finished, so the cycle of paintings can thus be dated to this year. The historical documents include the testament of Bishop Martin Borković (1667–1687). Among the notes of the executor, capitular curator and canon Ivan Znika, there is an item about a payment made to the “*pictori Ioanni*” for the bishop's portrait. Stylistic analysis: eminently comparable are the portrait of the bishop (after 1687) and in 1690, the Life of St. Ladislav cycle altarpiece paintings.","obtention":"In 1882, following the earthquake of 1880, during the renovation and restoration of the cathedral in the Gothic-revival style by H. Bollé, the St. Ladislav (St. Ladislaus) altarpiece was removed from the cathedral. Parts of it were brought together for the Cultural and Historical Exhibition of Zagreb in 1925. After the exhibition closed on 31 December 1925, these pieces were given to the museum by the Committee of Zagreb Croatian Women for the Preparation of the Exhibition.","bibliography":"Cvetnić, S., *Slikarstvo u drugoj polovici 17. i početkom 18. stoljeća u Zagrebu*, Zagreb, 1998 (unpublished PhD thesis).  \nCvetnić, S., \"Djela ljubljanskoga slikara Ioannesa Eisenhordta na Kaptolu, u Zagrebu\", *Acta historiae artis Slovenica*, 5, 2000, pp. 83–108.  \nCvetnić, S., \"Slikarstvo u kontinentalnoj Hrvatskoj\", *Hrvatska i Europa III. Barok i prosvjetiteljstvo* (ed. I. Supičić), Zagreb, 2003, pp. 652–662.  \nCvetnić, S., *Ikonografija nakon Tridentskog sabora i hrvatska likovna baština*, Zagreb, 2007, pp. 197–198.","author":"Željka Kolveshi","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","painting","religious object"],"materials":["Oil on panel"]},"ab9dbdc1-5022-5a92-be31-a76cf3b05af7":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an with lacquer-painted binding signed by Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi","short_description":"The first two of the three illuminated opening spreads bear an index of *sura* headings and a prayer. The main text begins on the third and is written in a fine, clear *naskhi* which compares well to that of Visal, the pen-name of one of the most highly esteemed calligraphers and poets of 19th-century Iran. The marginal commentaries are signed by Visal’s second son, Mirza Mahmud, pen-named *hakim* (’the physician’), who enjoyed a considerable reputation as a *nasta‘liq* scribe.  \nThe lacquer covers are the work of Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi, who had close associations with the Visal family. The outer covers are variations on the so-called *gul-u bulbul* (‘flower-and-bird’) theme, with two birds in a rose bush on a sparkling dark-brown ground. The doublures have a superb composition of an iris and other flowers on an imitation tortoise-shell ground. The borders have quotations from *sura* *al-Baqara*, II, verses 255–7 on the front and verse 201, with other religious phrases, on the back.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; binding; lacquer-painting","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Main text: c. 1844; Persian translation dated AH 25 Sha‘ban 1272 / AD 2 May 1856; binding dated Hejira 1269 / AD 1852–3","location":"London","dimensions":"289 folios; 34.7 x 22.7cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance based on information provided in the colophon.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","bibliography":"Bayani, M., Stanley, T., and Rogers, J.M., *The Decorated Word. Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th Centuries*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 4, Part Two, 2009: cat.22, pp.116–25.  \nKhalili, N.D., Robinson, B.W., and Stanley, T., *Lacquer of the Islamic Lands*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 22, Part One, 1996: cat.156, pp.208–10.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.261, p.226.  \nVernoit, S., *Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 23, 1997: cat.4, pp.20–21.","keywords":["binding","ink","Iran","lacquerwork","Paper","Qajar","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","lacquer-painted binding","main text in naskhi","Persian translation and commentaries in nasta‘liq"]},"ac213e50-9aa9-50fe-a88f-16a3840fbce1":{"name":"*Departure of a Caravan to Mecca from Bab el-Nasr Gate, Cairo*","description":"Traditionally, most Muslim pilgrims went to Makkah on foot as part of a caravan. Cairo was one of the most important starting points for pilgrim caravans, particularly as it dispatched the ceremonial Mahmal, an ornamental litter containing a Qur’an manuscript and ritual hangings for the Holy Places. Traditionally, the Hajj caravan left the city from the Bab al Nasr gate. In order to ensure the caravan's smooth progression, the Amir al-Hajj organised each section and allocated it its correct place within the sequence. The caravan was headed up by bedouin guides, followed by water carriers and important officials. Next came the treasury and precious gifts intended for the Holy Places, carefully shielded by the ruler's special guards and soldiers. Another, well-protected treasury section - this one intended for the upkeep of the caravan itself - followed and, behind it, a numerous array of traders and merchants. The rest of the caravan was made up of the actual pilgrims from all over the region.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Late 19th / early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"ad19e46b-73be-59de-b600-34195f9350aa":{"name":"*Crystal Palace in Oporto*","description":"The Crystal Palace was built a decade after its counterpart in London, by Thomas Dillen Jones, to house the Oporto’s International Exhibition that congregated about 3 thousand stands from all over the world. By promoting such exhibition, Portugal sought not only to keep pace with progress but also to promote its own colonial empire.","type":"Painting","holder":"Soares dos Reis National Museum","dates":"1863","location":"Porto","author":"DGPC"},"ad9f5054-4028-51c0-91cb-d8f1179760fa":{"name":"*Two Figures*","alternate_name":"Moorish Sketches; *Dos figuras*","description":"This little sketch of two female figures represents a typical orientalist-themed image. Sorolla could undertake studies abroad thanks to a grant. During that period he mainly produced two types of Oriental paintings, which were still very popular in that period: great scenes for the Academy where he studied and small works (as the one on display) to sell and augment his income.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1880–1884","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"ae42a45e-443f-5a1d-aaab-85cd72bce06d":{"name":"*A Greek Mountaineer*","description":"During the Ottoman occupation, Greek peasants who were dispossessed of their property often retreated to impregnable mountain regions, where they engaged in resistance against the Turks. These mountaineers, who both fascinated and frightened European travellers, were romanticised by artists and poets such as Lord Byron. The man depicted here clearly represents the type of mountaineer described by Byron. To emphasize his costume and his swift movement, he appears in full gear, the sleeves of his jacket falling freely to the back as if to underscore his impulsive gesture. Pistols and knives are tucked in his belt. His right hand rests on his musket; his left hand proudly touches the tip of his sword. Haag chose to place the figure in a grand mountainous landscape, complete with a ruined temple. This sacred monument may be identified as the temple of Apollo Epicurius in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese. This enhances the dignity of the figure, whose nobility and heroism are worthy of the principles of his legendary ancestors.","type":"Painting","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"1861","location":"Athens","author":"Washington, D.C., 1991, 80-81, no 28"},"aea9b65b-d732-5c4b-ab3b-e64e9ba4e216":{"name":"Dhu’l-Nun Prays for Rain for the Egyptians","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"This is the seventh painting to appear in the Bustan, and it is marked as page 124 in the manuscript. It represents the story of Dhu’l-Nun, an Egyptian mystic who died in 861 CE.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan* , London: British Museum Press, 1998.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/dhul-nun-prays-for-rain-for-the-egyptians-akm284.9","keywords":["Bustan","Egyptian","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","mystic","painting","Persian","pray","rain","Sa‘di","Sadi","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"aee0c11d-b05a-5082-9164-78ab982f4882":{"name":"*A Greek lady of Smyrna*","description":"The picture probably depicts a bride before being bedecked. Her outfit-one of the two customary types of urban bridal costume during the Ottoman period- consists of one or two pairs of pantaloons, a diaphanous selvedged chemise and a dress with tightly buttoned long sleeves and a sash worn low on the hips. Her overcoat is trimmed with fur, has wide pointed sleeves and the dress appears to have been hitched up, revealing the bottom of the pantaloons. Among the various testimonies bequeathed to us by the foreign artist-travelers who visited Greece in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, the depictions of costumes are particularly important. The imaginative combination of the various garments and accessories that make up the Greek costume and the wealth of jewellery fascinated foreign travellers, who recorded them pictorially, often with a dubitable degree of accuracy.","type":"Painting","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"1768","location":"Athens","author":"Delivorrias, Fotopoulos 1997, 503, fig. 888 (Elisabeth Karanopoulou)"},"aef39b85-cdec-5249-98d0-e5cf50a42a36":{"name":"*Pentecost*","description":"Joseph Ignaz Mildorfer was born into a well-known Tyrolese painter-family and moved at an early date to the imperial city of Vienna to earn his living as did many of his contemporaries from Tyrol. Between 1740 and 1742 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna where, in 1742, he won a competition and in 1751, following the example of his fellow painter, Paul Troger also from Tyrol, he became an academic professor. As a fresco and altarpiece painter, Mildorfer won fame and important commissions in Austria, Bohemia, Moravia and Hungary (Pápa, Sárvár, Fertőd, Holics (Holič) and Máriavölgy (Marianka). His skilfully executed early battle scenes bear witness to an almost unknown chapter in his oeuvre.  \nTraditionally, the high altar painting in the Holy Spirit Church in Sopron along with the sketch made for it, were attributed to István Dorffmaister who was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and a resident of Sopron from 1782. However, recently, it has become clear that the execution of the high altar painting and the Pietà side-altarpiece are earlier: appearing to be the same age as the structure of the high altar, which together with its plastic decoration, dates to around 1750. The composition of the *Pentecost* altarpiece – the type of figures represented and their formation – are very close to the *Assumption* fresco painted by Mildorfer in the chapel of Castle Milotice in Moravia in the 1750s. Here similar character types swing into ecstasy; the same bearded characters, the use of very strong foreshortening close to caricature, and disproportioned, over-sized hands and feet. The strong light streaming into the picture from the dove of the Holy Spirit almost brightens the whole picture space: the figures of the apostles appearing before it almost as silhouettes.  \nThe Sopron altarpiece, along with the excellent *bozzetto* (sketch) both of which are attributed to Mildorfer, belong to a group of early Hungarian works from the generation of Viennese painters from the Paul Troger school.","short_description":"Recently attributed to the excellent Tyrolese painter, Joseph Ignaz Mildorfer, the high altarpiece in Sopron and its expressive *bozzetto* (sketch) belong to a group of early Hungarian works from the generation of Viennese painters from the Paul Troger school. Mildorfer was a master of several frescoes in Hungary (Pápa, Sárvár, Fertőd, Holics (Holič) and Máriavölgy (Marianka).","type":"Painting (sketch; *bozzetto*)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","initial_owner":"Holy Spirit Church, Sopron","dates":"the 1750s","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 55 cm; w: 33 cm","place_of_production":"Vienna","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis of Mildorfer’s work","provenance":"Holy Spirit Church, Sopron","bibliography":"*Barokk művészet Közép-Európában. Utak és találkozások* (Crossroads: Baroque Art in Central Europe) exhibition catalogue, (ed. G. Galavics), Budapest, 1993, pp. 286, 288, 291.","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Tamás Sajó","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Bozzetto","Christian themes","Gács","Ödenburg","religious object","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"af5dd515-10f6-573e-bba3-9212bf33f05f":{"name":"Painting, *Royal Audience*","description":"The painting depicts an audience with Sultan Muhammad IV ‘Abd al-Rahman in the city of Fez on 23 November 1868. The sultan, on horseback, receives the British Ambassador to Tangier, Sir John Drummond-Hay, who is seen accompanied by his staff and family.","type":"Painting","holder":"Royal archives","dates":"23 November 1868","location":"Rabat"},"af7b7b45-598f-5e3c-8472-5d1ad570467e":{"name":"*The Immaculate Conception with the Saints Petronius and Dionysius*","description":"This altarpiece is one of the most celebrated works of the young Giovanni Antonio Burrini. It was commissioned by the noble Ratta family at the end of the seventeenth-century. Two saints are surrounding the Virgin. They are Petronius the bishop and patron of Bologna, and Dionysius the martyr and bishop of Paris who is often confused with the Areopagite. Saint Dionysius was probably painted by request of the patrons. It is believed that one of the members of the Ratta family was a diplomat sent by the pope to France to persuade Louis XIV to abolish the edit of Nantes and restart the prosecution of the Huguenots.  \nThe altarpiece is built on a pyramidal composition and is dedicated to the Carraccis and to Guido Reni. The delicate features and the brush strokes are reflective of Lorenzo Pasinelli and Sebastiano Ricci as both artists were working in Bologna at that time.","short_description":"This celebrated altarpiece is one of the masterpieces of the young Burrini. Depicted at the feet of the Virgin, Saint Petronius, the patron of Bologna, and Saint Dionysius, the patron of France. The lively figures are reminiscent of Lorenzo Pasinelli, while the luminous colours and the quick brush strokes are an homage to the Venetian artist Sebastiano Ricci.","type":"Painting","holder":"Parish church","initial_owner":"Ratta family","dates":"1684","location":"Monghidoro, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"292x229 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Bibliography.","provenance":"Ratta Garganelli Chapel, San Giacomo Maggiore, Bologna","obtention":"This painting was originally made for the Ratta Garganelli chapel in the church of San Giacomo il Maggiore in Bologna. Later it was moved to the parish church of Monghidoro.","bibliography":"Arfelli A. “Bologna Perlustrata di Antonio di Paolo Masini e l'aggiunta inedita del 1690”*,*  \n *L' Archiginnasio* 52, 1957, p. 52.  \nCalvesi, M. in *Maestri della pittura del Seicento Emiliano* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. H. Voss), Bologna, 1959, pp. 191-196, fig. 94.  \nRoli, R. *Pittura bolognese 1650-1800 – Dal Cignani ai Gandolfi*, Bologna, 1977, p. 105.  \nRiccomini, E. *Giovanni Antonio Burrini*, Bologna, 1999, pp. 175-177.","workshop":"Late baroque Bolognese painting","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico artistico di Bologna, su concessione del Ministero per i Beni culturali.","author":"Paolo Cova","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Giovanni Antonio Burrini","Ratta family","Religious/liturgical painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"af86cd22-a9d6-5bda-a51c-2d290fb277bb":{"name":"*Infantry-attack during the occupation-campaign in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1878*","description":"With an energetic stroke of the brush, Rudolph Konopa shows us an episode from the occupation campaign of the Austro-Hungarian Army in the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878. Konopa studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and was a co-founder of the *Hagenbund* in 1900. Konopa received many awards, including the gold medal of the Vienna *Künstlerhaus*. Later during World War I, he became member of the so called *k.u.k. Kriegspressequartier* (art division of the ministry of War) and worked as a war painter on the eastern and southern fronts.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"After 1878 (Monogramed \"R.K.\"; undated)","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"af93fac1-5782-5f52-9b88-3b5082b80012":{"name":"Automata","short_description":"Folio from *The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by Isma\\`il ibn ar-Razzaz al-Jazari, illustrating the water-powered mechanism for a \"perpetual flute\", the text in elegant *naskhi* script; signed by the calligrapher Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif.","type":"Scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira end of Ramadan 715 / AD end of Dicember 1315","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Syria; Iraq","keywords":["Artuqid","calligraphy","engineering","inscription","naskhi script","science","scientific manuscript"]},"aff0f573-5e91-5646-94a2-26bd51ba0e14":{"name":"*Interior of a Harem*","alternate_name":"*Interior de harén*","description":"This painting was made around 1863 when the author travelled to Morocco with Mariano Fortuny. The reason for his travel was to paint the characters and picturesque garments as the way of life of the people from Morocco. The influence his experiences had on his works can be found in his paintings and drawings. During his travels he bought exotic artworks, such as Egyptian sarcophagi. Harem and markets are considered a genre painting in Orientalism.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanticism","dates":"c. 1863","location":"Madrid","author":"Carolina Miguel Arroyo","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"aff8cde7-1f94-523b-b92a-5dd0a0feaca4":{"name":"*Hajj Day*","description":"Abdulhalim Radwi often evoked his hometown of Mecca, emphasising the importance of the Ka’ba as a source of universal energy and a religious symbol.  \nIn Hajj Day, the Ka’ba is surrounded by a central circle around which various elements of the composition revolve. The artist manipulates perspective so that near and far elements converge and intersect around the Ka’ba. Facial features are absent, and the artist has stripped the city of Mecca of all detail except for the main elements - the Ka’ba, the overlapping mountains and the pilgrims coming for the Hajj.  \n  \nIn contrast to his colourful scenes, Radwi removes the vibrant colours in this work, opting for a monochrome palette to emphasise the unity of the elements under this universal energy. In his series depicting Mecca, the artist emphasises the importance of Mecca as a place of peace, where there is no difference between people, who are all there for the same reason regardless of their cultures or social status.  \n  \nRadwi often uses Arabic words and letterforms in his artwork, including religious expressions such as Allah; *bismillah*, or 'in the name of God'; *and la illah ila Allah*, or 'there is no god but God'), as well as other Arabic expressions. This demonstrates Radwi's commitment to incorporating an Arab and Muslim identity into his work. In addition, his continued use of visual symbols such as crescents and other motifs underlines the importance of these symbols as signs of cultural heritage.","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1408 / AD 1987","location":"Doha","dimensions":"104.4cm x 104.4cm x 4cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["day","hajj","Mecca","Zam Zam","Zamzam"],"materials":["cotton","Oil paint","Wood"]},"b25ced0a-8fbc-5812-85b3-eb1df7ad87a4":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"The image at the left shows an earlier stage of the flotilla. A long raft in the foreground carries a huge structure shaped like a cypress tree from which strings of fireworks are suspended along with two Catherine wheels. Rockets and projectiles hurtle about. On the basis of Vehbi’s account, this is the float prepared by the artillerymen’s corps. A two-story structure set on a pair of caiques carries a troupe of dancers and musicians on the lower floor while pyrotechnicists are busy at work on the upper one.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b2ae47d0-404c-5df9-b57d-fd46c3ad1864":{"name":"Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar of Jajarmi","alternate_name":"(The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems)","description":"This page from an anthology of Persian poetry illustrates a poem about the moon entering the houses of the twelve zodiac signs. In the three scenes illustrated here, the moon is shown visiting the Sagittarius, depicted as an archer who shoots an arrow against his own dragonlike tail, Capricorn, and finally the planet Saturn (the water carrier, or Aquarius) lifting a bucket from a well.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ, until 1956","dates":"AH 741 / AD 1341","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 16,8cm; width: 23,2cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S. \"New York, October 9 through January 7, 1933–1934.\" In *A Guide to an Exhibition of Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1933.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. XXVIII, no. 10.  \n  \nAckerman, P., \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art.*, 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, 1962.  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *The Islamic World.*, vol. 11. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., S. Carboni, T. Masuya, and A. H. Morton., *Illustrated Poetry and Epic Images : Persian Painting of the 1330s and 1340s.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994.  \n  \nRossabi, M., C. Melville, J. C. Y. Watt, T. Masuya, S. Blair, R. Hillenbrand, L. Komaroff, S. Carboni, S. Bertelan, and J. Hirx., *The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353* , New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451404","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"b3ffe5a9-b94e-57b4-815b-88dcdb526256":{"name":"*Tomb of Sultan Selim II*","description":"Although essentially a realist painter, Şevket Dağ worked with free brush stokes in the style of Corot. He is celebrated for his paintings of the interiors of mosques. He took lessons from Osman Hamdi Bey, and followed his master in painting genre pictures reflecting various aspects of Ottoman life. In addition to mosque interiors he would also paint scenes in market places, still-life compositions and the interiors of houses. Over time, Şevket Dağ's work began to be appreciated abroad following exhibitions in European art centres such as Munich and Paris, and he was awarded a gold medal in the Munich International Exhibition of 1909. He later came under the influence of the impressionists.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b4c166af-6d62-5c17-b7f3-8f2e2ca40078":{"name":"*Gallery of Paintings*","description":"The *Gallery of Paintings* shows a large curtained hall, its walls covered with paintings and two mirrors. There are paintings everywhere, on the floor and table, leaning against chairs and resting on stands. There are groups of men and women, members of the nobility and the middle class talking together and viewing the exhibition. Shifted from the central axis of the composition, behind a group of women around an oval table, is a large open door through which there is a view of a garden with a round flowerbed, fountains and architecture. Bordering the *scotia* – the area above the cornice over which rises the half-circle moulding of the ceiling – hangs a cartouche with a two-headed eagle holding a sword and key in its talons.      \nA companion painting shows another curtained hall with paintings and many viewers, with a large door opening into another exhibition hall. Bordering the *scotia* in this painting there is a cartouche with a family monogram in the centre, flanked by two allegorical female figures holding a ducal coronet with five tines.  \nThe Gallery of Paintings genre developed in the 16th and 17th centuries when the first private collectors, the French and Italian nobility, presented their paintings, sculptures and other artworks in their mansions. As the popularity of these “exhibitions” grew, paintings of this kind increasingly showed imaginary galleries that did not represent any particular collection, but a selection of the best-known paintings of the time. *Gallery of Paintings* is attributed to the Flemish painter, Balthasar van den Bossche, who played an extremely important role in the early 18th-century art world. Among other things, he was manager of the Antwerp art gallery. Strongly influenced by the Flemish painter, David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690), Bossche was born only years before Teniers' death. Teniers was court painter and keeper of the art collections in Brussels. He painted several versions of the *Gallery of Paintings* composition, showing Archduke Leopold Wilhelm's art collection. It was from these paintings that attribution of the works of Italian Renaissance painters Giorgione, Titian and Veronese was possible.         \nIn all probability, acquisition of the *Gallery of Paintings* was for the manor of a prominent noble Croatian family or maybe by an industrialist. This type of painting was characteristic of Flanders during the Baroque period.","short_description":"The *Gallery of Paintings* shows a large curtained hall, its walls covered with paintings and two mirrors. Individuals and groups of people are viewing the artworks and talking to one another.  \nThe interior scene is typical of a humanist's or wealthy merchant's home, turned, as was the fashion, into a gallery for artworks and other treasures.  \nThe *Gallery of Paintings* and its companion are attributed to the Flemish painter, Balthasar van den Bossche, whose work was influenced by David Teniers the Younger. Teniers depicted several variants of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm's collection as a *Gallery* painting. Bossche probably found inspiration in Teniers' *Gallery* paintings for his own, painted almost 20 years after Teniers' death.    \nIn all probability, acquisition of the *Gallery of Paintings* was for the manor of a prominent noble Croatian family or maybe by an industrialist.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museum of Arts and Crafts","dates":"About 1710","location":"Zagreb, North-West Croatia","dimensions":"H: 133 cm; w: 162 cm","place_of_production":"Flanders","method_for_datation":"The attribution was made by Miroslav Gašparović, Director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts.","obtention":"A gift of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb in 1909: when the Museum of Arts and Crafts was founded in 1880, suitable material for the newly founded museum was taken from the National Museum's archaeological department. Thus, the Archaeological Museum donated the above *Galleries* because it had nothing in common with archaeology.","bibliography":"*Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, 1880–1970. Katalog izabranih djela* (Museum of Arts and Crafts, 1880–1970: catalogue of selected works), Zagreb, 1970.","author":"Nela Tarbuk","translator":"Nikolina Jovanović","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Balthasar van den Bossche","collection","collector","eagles","Flanders","Gallery of Paintings"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"b4f75aa6-644c-5905-aa3f-64df7691791f":{"name":"*Le retour de la guerre de Crimée* (painting)","description":"This oil on canvas by B. de Boynier shows a Tunisian military parade returning from war in the Crimea, headed by the current bey, Mohamed Pacha, at the gates of the Palais de la Marsa (1856). The Nichan al-Iftikhar can be seen on the bey's chest. Foot soldiers and horsemen, dressed in European style, carry the Tunisian flag. The General Osman is at the head of the horsemen, and the General Rashid, the commanding officer of the Tunisian military expedition to the Crimea, is to the bey's right. Tunisia sent about 14,000 men in support of the Ottomans and their allies during the Crimean war of 1854–1856).","type":"Painting","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"1856","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"b5774f3e-8016-55ca-9542-099e3ef271b9":{"name":"Portrait of Akbar in old age","short_description":"This posthumous portrait of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE) was probably commissioned by his grandson Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 CE), who was thirteen when the emperor died. The aged Akbar is depicted in three-quarter profile, a view reserved for figures of lesser rank but perhaps accepted for posthumous emperor portraits. Mughal conventions such as the golden halo and the fact that the emperor stands upon the orb of the world signify Akbar’s power as a ruler. The intricate details of his embroidered robe and sash, the pearls around his neck, and the bejewelled dagger hilt emphasize his royal standing and are complemented by a scrolling vegetal border rendered in gold. On the border of the album page, believed to be contemporary with the portrait, three of the emperor’s attendants stand symbolically (and literally) behind him, respectively holding his umbrella, standard, and shield. Two puttis, winged angelic figures derived from European models, hold a golden canopy protectively over Akbar’s portrait, while the antelope and deer depicted below, also on the earthly orb, associate the reign of the late emperor with a peaceful era. This portrait is believed to come from Shah Jahan’s last album, the compilation of which began around 1650 CE, and may never have been completed. Its paintings include several single-figure portraits that acted as models for future albums (Canby 1998, p. 151). The numerous border paintings are extremely developed and skilful works of art in their own right. In the early twentieth century, the “Late Shah Jahan Album” was unfortunately dispersed, and the pages, often split into two, were sold separately.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1645","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.1 x 26cm","provenance":"Agra, India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian paintings from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.","keywords":["Album","figure","folio","human-figure","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"b5cc449f-cc5f-55d6-ae15-398d9f80fb06":{"name":"Indian Miniature","short_description":"This one-page miniature painting from 17th-century India shows a Mullah alongside his valet, teaching a wealthy student or a young prince. A similar painting is found in the ‘Ardeshir Album,’ (no longer intact), which was most likely made during the reign of Muhammad Shah (1719-1748). According to the signature, Prince Dara Shikoh (1615-59) is visiting Mian Mir, who was the prince’s instructor while during his teenage years.","type":"Miniature Painting","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Length: 16.5cm x Width: 16.5cm","method_for_datation":"A similar miniature painting was found in Ardeshir album which is signed by Prince Dara Shikoh (1615-59).","method_for_provenance":"Kohlhaussen, Heinrich, *Islamische Kleinkunst. Führer durch das Hamburgische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe*, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1930: 15, 68.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Acquired before 1933.","bibliography":"Kohlhaussen, H., *Islamische Kleinkunst, Hamburg: Führer durch das Hamburgische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe*, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe 1930.  \nLosty, J. P., *Into the Indian Mind; An Insight Through Portraits, Battles and Epics in Indian Painting*, London: Francesca Galloway Gallery, 2015.","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Indian miniature","Mughal"],"materials":["gilding","watercolour"]},"b6314a55-601b-5a79-9ff9-8f02c4a5793f":{"name":"*The Caliphs' tombs in Cairo*","description":"","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"1871","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"b64a1bbb-e3ff-5209-9c78-7304ea9b3d7d":{"name":"Water Well","description":"This powerful and emotional drawing reflects everyday life, community and endurance. The artist uses a limited colour palette of dark, soft tones to create a haunting atmosphere. At the centre, a group of women stand close together around a dark well, while a solitary figure stands apart, carrying heavy containers. The scene is both quiet and heavy, conveying the physical and emotional weight of their daily labour.  \nThe well itself becomes more than just a source of water; it also symbolises life, connection and memory. The women's bent figures and joined forms suggest unity and cooperation, as if they rely on one another for strength and survival. Their faces are not clearly visible, giving the image a universal quality and turning the women into symbols of resilience and shared struggle rather than individuals.  \nThe artist’s use of shading and blurred lines gives the drawing a dreamlike and timeless quality, as if the moment exists in both the past and the present. The open space and faint background add to the sense of isolation and endurance in a harsh environment.  \nOverall, *Water Well* powerfully and poetically captures the intersection of women’s labour, community and survival. The simple composition and muted tones draw attention to the emotional depth of the scene, reflecting not only daily life in rural Jordan, but also providing a broader commentary on strength and perseverance.","type":"Drawing / Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 1396 / AD 1976","location":"Amman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/mohammed-abu-zreiq/#artwork-16","keywords":["art","water","watercolor","Well"],"materials":["watercolour"]},"b748882b-f53d-5b43-8ea6-79478b997e1b":{"name":"A prince and a hermit","short_description":"This colourful rocky landscape depicts a prince visiting a hermit at his cave. The prince is seated pensively before the hermit while his eight attendants wait on both sides of a small creek. His stately horse appears to be the focus of the painting, its grand and stocky figure occupying the major part of the lower half of the painting and emphasized by a natural halo formed by the sandy-coloured ground upon which it rests. As Anthony Welch has observed, the stallion was a symbol of authority and splendour but also one of “worldly impermanence” (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 160). Along with the brightly and colourfully dressed servants, the great horse stands in stark contrast to the hermit and his companion (perhaps a disciple), who sits before the cave at the water’s edge; their gaunt figures indicate their renouncement of worldly possessions in favour of following the path to enlightenment through mysticism. The top half of the painting evokes an air of meditation and sombreness that affects even the prince, who may have come here seeking the guidance of a spiritual advisor. The relationship between a Sufi master (*shaykh*, *murshid*, or *pir*) and his disciple (*murid* or *shagird*) was a popular theme in Persian poetry and painting. The master was charged with the task of leading his student along the challenging path (*tariqa*) towards enlightenment and the attainment of oneness with God. The transfer of knowledge between murid and murshid was seen as the transfer of light from the heart of the teacher to that of the student. The combination of a Persian painting style fused with the use of a more earth-toned palette and naturalistic rendering of figures and landscape, however, suggest that the present painting was produced in India under the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE), a period marked by the synthesis of a diverse foreign and indigenous artistic styles. This combined aesthetic was a reflection of the ruler’s great tolerance for different religions; Akbar created the *Din-i illahi* (“Divine Faith”), which borrowed ideas from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism (Canby 1998, p. 111). Welch has attributed the work on stylistic grounds to the Persian painter 'Abd al-Samad, an artist of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1732 CE) who left the court of Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76 CE) to work first for Akbar’s father, the emperor Humayun (r. 1530-39 CE and 1555-56 CE), and then for Akbar (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 160). Welch also believes that the prince represented in this image could be Akbar’s son Salim, the future emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-27 CE), based on the likeness of this figure to that of a seated prince in a tinted drawing identified as Prince Salim and signed by 'Abd al-Samad, also in the Museum's collection (ibid., p. 162; for an image of this work, see Canby 1998, p. 110, no. 80, although Canby identifies this figure as Akbar). Sheila Canby, however, has suggested that the princely figure may represent Akbar if it can be linked to a hunting event (*qamargha*) in the Punjab ordered by the emperor in April-May 1578 CE at the alleged site of one of Alexander the Great’s successful battles (Canby 1998, p. 111). According to Akbar’s historian Abu’l Fazl (d. 1602 CE), Akbar experienced an epiphany in the midst of the hunt, which led him to cancel the hunt and free all of the captured animals. Unaware of what had caused his change of heart, Akbar’s close friends imagined a few different theories, one of which involved the ruler’s meeting with an anchorite who inspired him to adopt a more ascetic lifestyle, something he did, in fact, do for a while after the incident (ibid., pp. 111 and 113).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1580","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"39.6 x 31.3cm","provenance":"Fatehpur Sikri, India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London / Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.","keywords":["animals","figures","folio","human-figures","lanscape","painting","poetry","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","Paper","Silver"]},"b7735908-2a85-5159-97b8-d8499ee4ac07":{"name":"*A Scene from the Turkish Harem*","description":"Austrian artists, which were part of the retinue of the Embassy delegation led by Hans Ludwig von Kuefstein that Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II sent to Murad IV in 1628, depicted audiences of the delegation, the sultan and his family, various Ottoman garments and intriguing facets of daily life. This painting is possibly a part of such a series. The 1654 inscription over the painting reads, “As it is not customary for distinguished Turkish ladies to leave the house or meet strangers, they invite each other to their homes and amuse themselves with dance, comedy and similar forms of entertainment”. In the lower section of the painting, guests are greeted while women dance to the rhythm of the tambourine. In the upper section, two women are seen dancing with scarves on their heads and embroidered kerchiefs in their hands, accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments, such as rebab, santur, and tambourine. The carpets, garments and instruments are depicted in elaborate detail.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Second half of the 17th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b793ca61-b95f-58b2-ad32-809e29bedece":{"name":"*Still Life with Fruit, Dead Birds and a Bowl of Morels*","description":"The area of the picture featuring a seasonal still life is packed with dead birds – coal tit, great tit, goldfinch, pigeon, woodpecker, woodcock – and fruit such as grapes, damsons and apples, the produce of the autumn harvest. As is common with similar decorative still life paintings, the fruits shown do not co-exist in nature: morels are among the earliest spring mushrooms. The composition axis is provided by a silver-plated gun in the diagonal. Attention is drawn to the centre of the painting by red tones, changing to olive-green towards the edges.  \nStill life paintings made appealing decorations for chateau interiors as supraports, in dining halls, hunting rooms and studies. The Central European artists continued the tradition of Flemish still life established by Frans Snyders and Jan Fyt.  \nThis still life is the only known work by Coelestin Anctor Ximenes, a remarkable artist of Spanish origin. In 1698 he became a burgher of Brno and an active member of the painters' guild. He signed a proposal that painters and sculptors be articled, the first attempt to detach artists from the guild system, which was followed by efforts to establish an art academy in Brno by the artists Etgens and Eckstein. The majority of artworks to originate in Moravia in the second half of the 17th century were the work of foreign artists mainly Dutch and Italian, while work by Czech artists prevailed in the 18th century.","short_description":"The painting, reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch models, is the only known work by Coelestin Anctor Ximenes, an artist of Spanish origin who settled in Brno. The picture comes from the chateau of the High Steward of Archduchess Marie Isabela of Parma, in Brussels.","type":"Painting","holder":"Rájec nad Svitavou State Chateau","owner":"Rájec nad Svitavou State Chateau","dates":"1697","location":"Rájec nad Svitavou State Chateau, Moravia","dimensions":"h: 79 cm; w: 95 cm","place_of_production":"Brno","method_for_datation":"The picture is marked and dated *Ximenes fe. 1697*.","provenance":"Collection of Count Salm-Reifferscheidt at the Rájec nad Svitavou Chateau","obtention":"The picture comes from the collection of Count Salm-Reifferscheidt at the Rájec nad Svitavou Chateau, where it remains to this day. The origins of the collection, which is dominated by Dutch painting, was associated with Antonín Karl Salm-Reifferscheidt (1720–1769), High Steward of Archduchess Marie Isabela of Parma in Brussels. Salm-Reifferscheidt also built the Rájec chateau, designed by Isidore Canevale.","bibliography":"Oldřich Jakub Blažíček, *Zámecká obrazárna v Rájci nad Svitavou*, Prague, 1957, cat. 44.  \nHana Seifertová-Korecká, *Barokní zátiší v Čechách*, Liberec, 1968, cat. 109.  \nLubomír Slavíček, *Katalog obrazárny v Rájci nad Svitavou*, Prague, 1980, cat. 182.  \nAntonín Jirka, *Středoevropské malířství 1600–1730 z moravských sbírek*, Zlín, 1993, p. 38, cat. 71.  \nFilip Komárek, *Vznik a vývoj malířského bratrstva sv. Lukáše v Brně v 1. polovině 18. století*, Diploma, Brno, 2007, p. 105.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["guild","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"b8b74d6c-8bd5-5f15-9490-e1dfa1ca07b9":{"name":"\"Firdausi's Parable of the Ship of Shi'ism\"","alternate_name":"Folio 18v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","description":"In the introduction to the Shahnama, God launched seventy ships, bearing adherents to the religions of mankind, into a stormy sea. Clearly depicted on the central ship are the Prophet and his son‑in‑law and successor 'Ali sitting beneath the red canopy, while 'Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husain, stand nearby. Details such as the inlaid stars and figures with very small elliptical pupils are characteristic of works attributed to Mirza 'Ali, the son of the master painter Sultan Muhammad.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Tahmasp, Iran (until AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim II, Turkey (from AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim III, Turkey (by AH 1214 / AD 1800); Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, France (by 1903); his son, Baron Maurice de Rothschild; France and Switzerland (from 1934); his son, Baron Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris and Switzerland(1957–59); Stiebel Ltd., New York, in 1959; Arthur A. Houghton Jr., New York","dates":"AH ca. 937-42 / AD ca. 1530-35","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 31.7 cm, width: 22.7 cm; Page: height: 47 cm, width: 31.8 cm","place_of_production":"Tabriz","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Arthur A. Houghton Jr. in 1970","bibliography":"Migeon, G., \"Exposition des Arts Musulmans au Musee des Arts Decoratifs.\" *Les Arts* no. 16 (1903).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *A King's Book of Kings: the Shah-nameh of Shah Tahmasp.* , New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M, and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975* (1975).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., S. R. Canby, and N. M. Titley. \"Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501–1576.\" *In Wonders of the Age.* , Cambridge, MA: Fogg Museum, Harvard Art Museums, no. 7, (1979).  \n  \nDickson, M., and S. C. Welch., *The Houghton Shahnameh.* Vol. vols. I & II. Cambridge, Mass. and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Persian Painting.*, London: British Museum Press, 1993.  \n  \nGruber, C., \"The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images.\" In *The Praiseworthy One.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.  \n  \nKomaroff, L, ed. \"The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.\" In *In the Fields of Empty Days.*, Los Angeles, CA,. no. 83, (2018).  \n  \nBahari, E., and A. Schimmel., *Bihzad, Master of Persian Painting.*, London, New York: I.B.Tauris Publishers, 1996.  \n  \nMelville, C., ed. *Safavid Persia : The History and Politics of an Islamic Society.*, Pembroke Persian papers. London - New York: I. B. Tauris, 1996.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, Madrid, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* , 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nRüstem, Ü., \"The Afterlife of a Royal Gift: The Ottoman Inserts of the Shahnama-i Shahi.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 29 (2012).  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \n  \nBlair, S. S., and J. Bloom. *By the Pen and What they Write.* New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015.  \n  \n\"Inscriptions on Architecture in Early Safavid Paintings of the Metropolitan Museum.\" *Metropolitan Museum Journal* vol. 53 (2018).  \n  \nKhafipour, H., ed. \"Source Studies of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Literate Communities.\" In *The Empires of the Near East and India.*, New York: Columbia University Press, 2019.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452110","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"b902f002-452f-5bec-8587-b983db9d1182":{"name":"*Schoolboy*","description":"Sheet from *Costumes Turcs*, a lavish set of volumes produced in Turkey for a European audience. They present the appearance of people from different areas, with different jobs etc. A Turkish boy going to school.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1790","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"b98b5c58-b52f-54a7-85fa-fdea8460caf3":{"name":"*Adornment Of The Bride*","description":"Bright, folkloristically vivid, technically impeccable and with an abundance of ethnographic detail, this is one of Jovanović’s best paintings, both in this period and as a whole. In a broader sense, this work by Paja Jovanović contains all the relevant characteristics of the poetics of academicism and thus – together with Jovanović’s other works from this period – had a crucial impact on the development of realism in Serbian painting in the late 19th century.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1885/1886","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Munich, Germany","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"ba42b954-f590-57ca-907e-01a3ca4dde77":{"name":"*Servant*","description":"The painting depicts a young girl in front of a wall, the lower part of which has been decorated with ceramic tiles with a floral design. The girl is wearing a white dress with embroidery down its front and a long embroidered belt, while her hair is partially covered with a light veil. On the young girl’s chestnut hair there is a gold crown, with gems at its centre. Around her neck she wears a necklace with large gems, a thin bracelet on her left wrist and an armlet on her right arm. The girl is holding a tray on which there is a decanter and cup of blue-and-white porcelain and fruits.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Late 19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"baf82baf-93a9-5da4-b22c-8e5e634174fe":{"name":"Miniature","alternate_name":"Miniatura","description":"This framed octagonal miniature shows a scene in a portico where men and women talk. A large blue curtain, two ribbed columns and a lobulated arch over another hidden column set the composition where a bearded Arab man with a turban, dressed in traditional Turkish costume in blue, red and white, is seated on a carpet, looking at a woman and a man who is introducing her. On the right and left sides, two couples of Circassian odalisques complete the scene and a standing armed man closes it on our right side.  \nIn the horizon beyond the harem we can see magnificent palaces by the water, probably the sea in Istanbul.","type":"Painting","holder":"Cerralbo Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Europe","author":"Cristina Giménez","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"baf9e3e8-08a9-59e2-8c21-17ce2e3a24c6":{"name":"*Moorish Parade*","alternate_name":"*Moros cooriendo la pólvora*","description":"This painting was made around 1863 when the author travelled to Morocco with Mariano Fortuny. The reason of his travel was to paint the characters and picturesque garments as the way of life of the people from Morocco.  \nHis experiences can be seen in his paintings and drawings.  \nDuring his travels he bought exotic artworks as Egyptian sarcophagi.  \nHarem and markets are considered a genre painting in Orientalism.","type":"Painting","holder":"Lázaro Galdiano Museum","dates":"c. 1870","location":"Madrid","author":"Ámparo López","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"bbe41557-7e8b-54e0-a258-e5856417bd55":{"name":"*Expulsion from Eden*","description":"The painting was until recently ascribed to Giovanni Antoni Pellegrini (1675–1741) but further study of comparative material and references by Visnja Bralic, an art historian from Zagreb, has led to a new attribution of the Venetian painter, Girolamo Brusaferro. Although little biographical information exists about the painter, his work is well known, and this knowledge is supported by other extant pieces by him. Brusaferro, who painted altarpieces for churches in Venice, and historical and mythological scenes for private collections, was a member of the Venetian painters' guild (1702–1722).  \nThe Expulsion from Eden theme was a popular subject for painters during the Baroque period. Here, the artist expressively shows the drama of Adam and Eve driven out of Paradise for their disobedience to God by an angry angel. The busts of the three actors almost fill up the whole surface of the canvas. The angel stands accented with flaming sword in hand, and according to the iconographic principle, in front of the gates of paradise, thus stopping Adam and Eve returning to their haven. The angel, powerfully illuminated, stands with outspread wings brandishing his sword, while the naked bodies of Adam and the hardly visible Eve are in penumbra. Their faces and movements reveal their fear and despair. While Adam is running from the glare of the flaming sword, Eve raises her hands and face to the sky, begging for Divine forgiveness. The colours are warm with a light hue. The figures, emphatically voluminous and in motion, heighten the dynamic nature of the composition.","short_description":"*Expulsion from Eden* is the work of the Venetian master, Girolamo Brusaferro, who painted numerous altarpieces for Venetian churches, along with other historical and mythological compositions. The Expulsion from Eden theme was a popular subject for painters during the Baroque period. The picture shows the moment when the angry angel, fiery sword in hand, drives Adam and Eve from their earthly paradise. The terrified and despairing exiles have committed the original sin, the shadow of which has fallen over the whole of mankind. While the powerful, naked Adam in painful spasm is bending over, Eve turns to heaven and begs for Divine assistance. The angel, with robust body and wide outstretched wings, brandishes the fiery sword at Adam. The impressive dynamic composition, marked, bright tonality and emphatic voluminousness of the figures distinguish this painting.","type":"Painting","holder":"Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum","dates":"Early 18th century","location":"Dubrovnik, Dalmatia","dimensions":"H: 117 cm; w: 144 cm","place_of_production":"Italy","method_for_datation":"The attribution, made by Visnja Bralic, made use of existing literature, other comparative material and stylistic analysis.","obtention":"The painting was once in the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik among the works of the old masters. In 1978, the Museum of Modern Art and the Dubrovnik Museums agreed, with the approval of the Ministry of Culture, to give the works of the old masters (16th–19th centuries) to the Dubrovnik Museums, specifically to the Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum. Today the painting is on permanent display on the first floor of the former Rector’s Palace.","bibliography":"Bralić, V., “Doprinosi opusu Girolama Brusaferro”, *Radovi instituta za povijest umjetnosti,* 28, Zagreb, 2004, pp. 134–145.","author":"Vedrana Gjukić-Bender","translator":"Graham McMaster","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Italian Baroque painting","movement","religious object"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"bd080ceb-df24-529b-aa77-9281fae6f262":{"name":"Bahr el Khabeer or the Great Sea (rock-cut cistern under the site of Solomon’s Temple)","description":"\"Bahr el Khabeer\", or \"The Great Sea\", is the largest cistern cut into the Haram al Sharif, supplying water to those using the Noble Sanctuary. A man holding a staff gestures towards a bucket being lowered into the cistern from a square access hole in the roof above. A second man and a boy watch from the sidelines.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1287 / AD 1870","location":"London","dimensions":"36 x 54cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1870 and signed by the artist","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Cistern","Haram Al Sharif","watercolour","William Simpson"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"bddc17e1-fe8c-5d35-aa32-18312e773658":{"name":"*Madonna and Child with St. John Nepomuk*","description":"The painting is a *bozzetto* (study) for the altar piece commissioned by Benedict XIII for the canonisation of John Nepomuk on 11 March 1729, and intended for the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano. The canvas shows John Nepomuk (named after his place of birth: Pomuk, the ancient name for the city of Nepomuk) kneeling before the Madonna and Child, surrounded by *putti* and angels.  \nOne in the foreground is showing the palm leaf of the martyr and has raised his finger to his mouth, a gesture that alludes to the virtue of the saint, renowned not only as protector of Bohemia, but also as the patron saint of confessors. John, confessor of the queen, aligned himself with the Archbishop of Prague against the claims of King Wenceslaus IV who imprisoned him for refusing to divulge the secrets of the confessional. He was tortured by the King before being flung from the Charles Bridge and drowned in the Vltava.  \nThe martyrdom is reproduced in the background behind the saint, who is dressed in his priestly robes and canonical cape. Beside Mary, another angel is giving the martyr the crown of stars that, according to tradition, surrounded his head as he floated in the river. The study, usually dated to the 1720s, was acquired by the Italian State in 1921, and is therefore not a part of the Borghese family collection.  \nThe painting is from Conca's early period when he was one of Rome's most fashionable artists. His painting style of grandiose and exuberant lines, similar to the style of Carlo Maratta, is characteristic of a later phase of Baroque painting, by then infused with the appealing and exuberant language of Rococo culture. As proof of the altarpiece's renown and the devotion of the Bohemian saint, prints were made of it, one of which was engraved by Gottlib Heiss in 1735 and is part of the Borghese collection.","short_description":"The *bozzetto* (study) was made by Sebastiano Conca for an altarpiece in St. Giovanni in Laterano (now lost). Conca, from Naples, arrived in Rome in 1706 at which time his style was similar to that of Carlo Maratta.  \nThis is a typical example of a Baroque altarpiece, the *sacrum* appearing in a monumental internal space providing a clear perspective.  \nConca's painting, with its exuberant, grandiose lines, is characteristic of late Baroque art and its captivating and magniloquent language is taken from Rococo culture.","type":"Painting, a *bozzetto* (study)","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"c. 1720","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 97; w: 62 cm","provenance":"Unknown","obtention":"The work was acquired by the Italian State in 1921.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.154, p. 87.  \nVolk, P., in *Johannes von Nepomuk, 1393–1993*, exhibition catalogue (Prague, Munich), Munich, 1993, cat.57, pp. 140–142.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Bozzetto","cult of martyrdom","Neapolitan painters","perspective"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"be16f668-8f93-5fa4-976a-635754278a7f":{"name":"The Combat of Khusraw Parviz and Bahram Chubina (Page from a Manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings))","short_description":"The illustrated page from a manuscript of the Iranian national epic, the Shahnama, depicts a contest between the Sasanian monarch Shah Khusraw Parviz (Khusraw II, r. AD 590–628) and a would-be usurper, Bahram Chubina. The protagonists, who competed for the Iranian throne, are both crowned. Bahram, the superior warrior, advances on foot toward a group of archers directed by Khusraw. This depiction of an epic battle cheekily includes, at the center of the page, a figure who has fallen, leaving his buttocks exposed. The humiliated man perhaps can be understood as representing an out-of-favor courtier, thereby drawing the centuries-old battle into the contemporary world of the manuscript’s creation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 983-987 / AD c. 1576-1577","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"45.4 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama produced for Shah Isma‘il II (Hegira 984-985/ AD 1576-77), of which there are fifty-five known surviving paintings, including the present example. The painting bears an ascription to the artist ‘Ali Asghar, who began his career at the court of Shah Tahmasp, in Tabriz. He subsequently entered the service of Sultan Ibrahim Mirza, nephew of Tahmasp and governor of Mashhad. Ibrahim Mirza was executed by order of his cousin, the newly installed Shah Isma‘il, and ‘Ali Asghar went to work in the atelier of yet another royal patron, this time in Qazwin—the new capital.","method_for_provenance":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic. The large size of the painting and the lavish use of costly pigments suggest a royal patron. Stylistic considerations suggest a date of 983-987/1575-80. Shah Tahmasp died in 984/1576 and was succeeded by his son Isma’il, who ruled for less than two years. He was followed by his brother, the nearly blind Muhammad Khudabanda whose own inglorious reign came to an end in 996/1588 with the accession of Shah ‘Abbas the Great. Shah Isma‘il, who is in fact known to have employed a coterie of distinguished artists, is then the likely patron of the book, which can be dated with some confidence to Hegira 984-985/1576-77 AD.","provenance":"Iran, Qazwin","obtention":"The Isma’il II Shahnama was in Paris at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in 1912. Sold by Georges Demotte (1877-1923), Paris, 1916 or 1918 (sold to). Collection of M. Millon (life dates unknown). Private collection, until 2005; Sam Fogg, London, until 2006 (sold to); LACMA, purchased with funds provided by H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer, Christopher V. Walker, Carolyn and Bill Powers, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Kathrine and Frank Baxter, Caron and Steven D. Broidy, John and Leslie Dorman, the Kayne Foundation, Ric and Suzanne Kayne, Jerry D. Kayne, Myron Laskin, Camilla Chandler Frost, and Ellen and Michael Korney through the 2006 Collectors Committee.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles*, Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 184.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018: 7, 107, plate 7.  \nRobinson, B. W., \"Shah Isma'il II's Copy of the Shah-Nama: Additional Material,\" *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299, no. 6.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["figural motifs","gold","Illustration","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Safavid","silver","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and silver on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"be3d15c9-0b3c-5c76-b571-476211bfa7ab":{"name":"*Bei der Kupplerin (The Procuress)*","description":"A large area of this painting is taken up by a carpet. Owing to the clearly recognisable pattern, it is possible to identify this carpet as coming from Uşak, a town in western Anatolia with a long and rich history of carpet production. On account of the dark blue ground and the red, onion-shaped central medallion, it is possible to date this carpet to the first half of the 16th century. Vermeer presents a seemingly light-hearted, quiet scene in which the objectionable aspect of the situation is not immediately apparent. Nevertheless, he leaves us in no doubt that this is a scene of procuration: the fashionably dressed suitor is paying money while with his left hand he touches the breast of the young woman.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"1656","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 143cm, Width: 130cm","method_for_datation":"Artist signature: \"J V Meer. 1656\"","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Dutch","obtention":"This painting was purchased from the collection of Count Franz Josef von Waldstein Wallenstein/Dux in 1741.","bibliography":"Franses, Michael, “Orientalische Teppiche auf Gemälden Vermeers”, in U. Neidhardt (ed), *Der frühe Vermeer*, Berlin et al.: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010: 108–113.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 497f., vol. 2, p. 569, gallery n. 1335.  \nNeidhardt, Uta (ed), *Der frühe Vermeer*, Berlin et al.: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010.  \nNeidhardt, Uta, and Giebe, Marlies (eds), *Johannes Vermeer. Bei der Kupplerin*, Dresden: Michael Sandstein Verlag, 2004.  \nWheelock, Arthur K. Jr., *Johannes Vermeer*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["carpet","genre painting","painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"be44b9c0-4045-581b-a6e2-85c0f3bcd137":{"name":"The Austrian ship on which Emperor Franz Joseph participated at the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in 1869","description":"Emperor Franz Joseph visited the Suez Canal on board the Austrian ship, *Elisabeth*. He reached the Egyptian port of Ismilia on 14 Nov 1869 and stayed in Egypt until the 26 Nov 1869. During this trip, he also visited Cairo and Alexandria.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"1869","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"bf8c236d-a3f0-57db-aaff-72a234666a2c":{"name":"Portrait of Sultan Selim II","short_description":"This large album portrait of Sultan Selim II (reigned 1566–74) reveals much about his reign. It was Selim’s father, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (reigned 1520–66), who solidified the geographical borders of the Ottoman Empire and refined the central administration of his government, allowing his son and successor to pursue more sedentary pleasures such as literature, art and wine-drinking. Nicknamed “Selim the Sot” for his affection for wine, the sultan was nonetheless a great bibliophile and patron of architecture, music and the arts of the book. The painter, poet and naval commander Haydar Reis depicted Selim II as larger than life; the robust sultan in his luxurious fur-lined and brocaded gold garment dwarfs both the page boy and the interior in which he sits in a cross-legged position on a carpet. This composition was one of a number of conventions for Ottoman royal portraiture developed in the 1570s and is similar to portraits in Loqman’s *Kiyafetu’l Insaniye fi Semailu’l-Osmaniye*, a study to record the physiognomy of the Ottoman sultans.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1570 or 1590","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"44.2 x 31.2cm","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","painting","Portrait","ruler","sultan","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"bfab383a-8a92-580d-828e-595be606bc38":{"name":"Painting.","description":"A fragment of a battle scene painted in gouache on paper. To the left of the painting is part of a wall with a balustrade from which two archers are drawing their bows ready to fire arrows at the enemy. A bearded figure on horseback, his lower half obscured slightly by the wall, wields a sword in his right hand and shield in the left. He is either about to attack or has just killed his opponent, whose body is bent backwards as if he is wounded or ready to throw the lance. In the centre of the painting another figure aims his lance at a soldier with a round shield and wide sword.  \nThe majority of works on paper discovered at Fustat are Fatimid and when this painting was acquired by the British Museum it was assumed that the painting was a Fatimid work. However, certain details suggest a later date, such as the kite-shaped shields, a type introduced by the Normans that was not in use in Egypt until the end of the AH 7th/ AD 13th century.","short_description":"A fragment of a gouache painting of a battle scene, from Fustat, Cairo. One of a small number of surviving paintings from the medieval period. The date of this painting is not certain; it is either Fatimid, like many other works on paper excavated at Fustat, or Ayyubid from the AH 7th / AD 13th century.","type":"Gouache on paper","holder":"The British Museum.","dates":"Hegira 7th century / AD 13th century.","location":"London, England","dimensions":"Height 21 cm, width 31.4 cm.","method_for_datation":"This painting was previously thought by scholars to date to the Fatimid period, but recent research dates it later to the Ayyubid period, due to the headgear worn by the figures on the left that resembles 7th- / 13th-century illustrated manuscripts produced in Syria, and the figure on the upper right who has a kite-shaped shield, a Norman design not used in Egypt until the end of the 7th / 13th century.","method_for_provenance":"The painting was found in an excavation at Fustat, Cairo.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"Purchased in 1938.","bibliography":"Contadini, A., Fatimid Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1998, p.13.  \nGray, B., \"A Fatimid Drawing\", British Museum Quarterly, XII, 1938, p.91–6.  \nL'Orient de Saladin au temps des Ayyoubides, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2001, p.94, cat. no. 62.","author":"Emily Shovelton","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["figurative painting"],"materials":["Gouache on paper."]},"bfc4be6c-b4b1-53d5-bc99-cd1d4f8fad8a":{"name":"Jahangir hunting lions from an elephant  \nFrom a dispersed album","short_description":"Babur, Humayun’s father, was a direct descendant of the 14th-century Turco-Mongol ruler Timur. Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire (1526–1858) in the Indian subcontinent, known as Hindustan throughout the Persian-speaking world. He was the first ruler to foster the artistic connection between Central Asia, Iran, and India. He felt a particular reverence for the Timurid artistic and cultural heritage and invited some Iranian artists to join his court. Artists from Bukhara (in present-day Uzbekistan) followed suit.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1610","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"28.6 x 21.7cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"c00a74d5-7adc-54fe-85fc-96f35232755e":{"name":"*Justice Room at the Alhambra, Granada*","alternate_name":"*La Sala de la Justicia en la Alhambra de Granada*","description":"This painting copied, almost literally, an engraving by David Roberts, published on the Tourist in Spain series by Roberts in 1835. Roberts travelled from Cordova to Granada in February 1883 and painted many sketches and drawings that were used afterwards, in engravings and paintings.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanticism","dates":"1840","location":"Madrid","author":"Carolina Miguel Arroyo","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"c0dbe8f9-c861-5074-9fb8-b7dfcde583ed":{"name":"*Al Azhar University, Cairo*","description":"Ludwig Deutsch  (1855-1935) was an Austrian-Jewish Orientalist painter. Here he tries to capture the atmosphere within the courtyard of the Al-Azhar mosque, first built in the 10th century and a major religious, intellectual and political hub of activity ever since. One of the oldest and most revered universities in the Islamic world, it was from here that a revolt against French troops was launched in 1798.  The French general Kleber was assassinated by Suleiman al Halabi, an al Azhar student, and later, Al Azhar was a focal point of protest against the Ottoman occupation of Egypt. Despite Deutsch's near-photographic style, his depiction is not entirely accurate and contains several errors: the arcades under the wooden oriel - their arches in reality wider and squatter - were not blocked up in his time, and the colour of the stonework is exaggerated. The praying men in the background are facing in the wrong direction (the direction of prayer or qibla in fact being to their right), Finally, the tall dark figure in the centre of the painting clutches what appears to be a Holy Qur'an between his dirty shoes, an act any Muslim would consider an absolute sacrilege.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"1890","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"c0f84326-ca73-50c0-aa89-a6fa1be73b81":{"name":"*Eine junge Frau beim Ankleiden (Young Woman at her Toilette)*","description":"A young lady is seated at a table with a mirror in front of her; she is about to adjust her hair with the hairpin she has in her mouth. This seems to have been prompted by the open letter, which presumably announces the imminent arrival of a male visitor. The silver jewellery box, the bed with the heavy curtain and the dog on the woman's lap-which can be understood as a sleepy defender of virtue-would seem to indicate the amorous content of the letter. Van Mieris depicts the various textures in the painting with an impressive richness of detail and exceptional precision: the silvery gloss of the lady's satin dress, the honey coloured wood of the lute, the soft fur of the red velvet jacket and the heavy, deep-pile oriental carpet with its broad gold fringe. All these expensive items also indicate the wealth of the subject, although they can also be interpreted as symbols of vanity and extravagance.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"1667","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 28cm, Width: 22cm","method_for_datation":"Artist signatures: \"Mieris Anno 1667\" and \"Anno 1667. Juny. Lud. Bat. F. van Mieris fecit\"","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"Dutch","obtention":"This painting was owned by Eleonore Erdmuthe Louise (1662–1696), wife of Elector Johann Georg IV of Saxony, and later came into the possession of Augustus the Strong. It was mentioned for the first time in the inventory drawn up between 1722 and 1728, where it was described as \"in the manner of Metsu\".","bibliography":"Laabs, Annegret, and Schölzel, Christoph, *Von der lustvollen Betrachtung der Bilder. Leidener Feinmaler in der Dresdener Gemäldegalerie*, Leipzig: Seemann, 2000: 81f.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister*, 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 2, p. 361, gallery n. 1741.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["carpet","genre painting","painting"],"materials":["Oil on wood"]},"c23084d0-7207-5ba4-a8e2-7af70bf14ee7":{"name":"*Kitchen Still Life with Snails, Fish and Eggs*","description":"*Kitchen Still Life with Snails, Fish and Eggs* is part of a series of three table-top still life paintings that may hint at the discipline of Lenten fasting. They each seem to display foods, the consumption or preparation of which was allowable during the period of self-denial. The empty copper dishes and the cucumbers near them on one of the tables may refer to the Good Friday menu; another table bears apples, snails, fish, eggs, cheese and onions, foods which are also acceptable during the fasting period. The pail in the background probably contains a dairy product. In the third ensemble, besides the greenery, there are cheese, offal and plucked quails on display, and even some wine bottles. The menu here is of a richer, more permissive diet. The white napkins, executed in a particularly clumsy manner, contrast with the dishes and wicker objects painted with almost a craftsman-like gusto. Dark details tending towards black make sterner the characteristic colours of off-white and greyish brown, with a few green and timed yellow patches. As if to limit the pleasure of the eye by some puritanical consideration, the domestic and parochial spirit of a prim and eagerly careful arrangement surrounds the unconsciously arranged kitchen articles. There is no doubt that these still life paintings support the aims of the burghers, possibly contrary to the spirit of the environment in which the painting was executed. Regards dating, it is difficult to identify the period as adequate Hungarian analogies lack, but in looking further, we might set the Eperjes (Prešov) still life paintings beside the works of Martin Dichtl (1639/40–1710). However, the fact that the Kramers – a painter family from Eperjes (Prešov) – produced portraits in the spirit of the 17th century, but a century later, demands the utmost caution, as the Kramers among others could have worked on occasional still life works as well. Nevertheless, mention of a member of the Kramer family, Peter, in a document of 1643 in Eperjes (Prešov) means that he should be included among the possible painters of these three pictures.","short_description":"*Kitchen Still Life with Snails, Fish and Eggs* originates from Upper Hungary and is part of a series of three tabletop still life paintings that may hint at the discipline of Lenten fasting in a provincial manner. This painting together with its companion pieces, represent rare Hungarian examples of a widespread European genre.","type":"Painting (still life)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 70.6 cm; w: 67 cm","place_of_production":"Eperjes (Prešov) (?)","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis","obtention":"Purchased for the Hungarian National Gallery from an art dealer.","bibliography":"Mojzer, M., “Magyarországi csendéletek a XVII. és a XVIII. századból.” (“17th–18th-Century Still Life from Hungary”), *Művészettörténeti Értesítő*, XXXI, 1982, pp. 255–256.  \nMojzer, M., (ed) “Painting still life East of the River Leithe” *The Metamorphosis of Themes: Secular Subjects in the Art of the Baroque in Central Europe,* exhibition catalogue, Budapest, 1993, pp. 87–88.","author":"Miklós Mojzer","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Viktor Mészáros","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["burghers","Eperjes","fasting","figurative decoration","food","Preschau","Prešov","Still life","Upper Hungary"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"c2ef4889-9f51-575f-8794-b1fe85502111":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (Evening entertainment in the Golden Horn) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"In this miniature we see an evening of rafts and fireworks on the Golden Horn. The grand vizier is seated on the Aynalıkavak quayside in the right frame and the sultan on the palace balcony. On the first of the two rafts in this procession, dancers and musicians perform in a garden of blazing cypress tree and Solomon’s seal fireworks. On the second is a revolving fortress stuffed with fireworks that have been set off while the military band at the stern of the raft plays.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"c4203a5d-6cf2-5678-9798-9a8246c935fb":{"name":"Painting with female figure","short_description":"The painting depicts a young noblewoman, elegantly dressed and richly embellished with a variety of jewels. While at first glance the work is pleasant and successful, many inconsistencies are apparent upon closer inspection. With a skilful choice of colours, a refined rendering of details and an effective decorative composition, we can more closely observe that the woman is placed in a type of pavilion, whose depth is only weakly indicated by a veil. The figure of the girl herself is rendered without depth. The three-quarter face is turned to the left, the body is seen from the front, while the feet are in profile, turned to the right. The image is constructed with its singular elements in an unnatural way, seemingly without any knowledge of anatomy or perspective. Through these dissonances the work reveals itself to be an object influenced by Western art, which the artist tried to orient himself (i.e., to Western art) without knowing it in depth. Both the technique (oil on canvas) and the subject (a portrait) refer to traditions that are foreign to the local culture.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museum of Civilizations / Eastern Art Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th-13th century / AD 18th- 19th century","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Height: 90cm, Length: 60cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic-formal analysis","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Acquisition from the antique market","bibliography":"Jung, M., \"Calligraphy - miniature - painting\",in P. Torre, G. Di Flumeri Vatielli and M. Jung (eds), *Arte dell'Islam, catalogue Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale*, Rome: Artemide, 2010: 54, fig. 53.  \nTorre, P., \"Un dipinto Qajar tra Oriente e Occidente\", in S. Balbi De Caro (ed), *Gioielli dell'Iran*, Rome: De Luca Editori d'arte, 2007: 83-87.","author":"Michael Jung","copy_editor":"Liz Cooper","materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"c4ba74ec-5d96-5dd1-9cc3-a2a1553b4630":{"name":"The Solovetsky Monastery","description":"Savvaty, a monk from the Kirilov Monastery, founded a small commune on the island of Solovki near the White Sea in 1392. He left the inhospitable island in 1435 and died later the same year. The next year, the monk Zosimas moved to Solovki and built the first monastic cell, which eventually became a splendid and wealthy monastery thanks to a lucrative salt trade and plentiful gifts. Zosimas remained the abbot until his death in 1478.  The monastery, with its numerous towers and thick, fortified walls, is depicted in the lower half of this icon, and Saints Zosimas and Savvaty are depicted above the monastery, flanked by two angels. This icon’s large scale and thematic content suggest that the image was produced at the Solovetsky Monastery.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1680","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 144.8cm, Width: 106.7cm, Depth: 3.5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2006. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"c4fe88f8-b165-52e3-b23f-fce061f8c81f":{"name":"A Prince Meeting a Muslim Holy Man","description":"The young man in princely attire seated in the presence of a mullah, a Muslim holy man, is thought to be one of the sons of Emperor Jahangir (1569–1627, reign 1605–1627). The facial features of the prince conform to portraits of Sultan Khurram (1592–1666) who became the emperor Shah Jahan (reign 1627–1658).  \nThe young prince appears to be around 18 years of age. Khurram had an early interest in art and even commissioned court paintings at the age of 14. This miniature may be seen as an illustration of the prince's interest in Islam. Unlike his forefathers, Shah Jahan was a practicing Sunni Muslim. He is best remembered for building the Taj Mahal, the stunning white marble memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  \n  \nThe painting is unsigned, making the identity of the artist unclear, but a tentative attribution can be made on stylistic grounds to the gifted court painter Manôhar (active c.1580–1620) and his atelier. The artist worked at court for at least forty years during the successive reigns of Akbar (1542–1605), Jahangir, and Shah Jahan.","type":"Drawings and watercolors, paintings","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 1019 / AD c. 1610","location":"Saint Louis, United States of America","dimensions":"Image: 16.4cm, 11.2cm; sheet: 43.6cm, 30.4cm","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","obtention":"Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, 1952","bibliography":"Owyoung, Steven, *Thinking of God: Indian Miniature Paintings at The Saint Louis Art Museum*, Saint Louis: Saint Louis Art Museum, 2001.","workshop":"Attributed to Manôhar and his studio","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink","opaque watercolor and gold on paper"]},"c60f81d1-fdf2-584b-9846-a4725108786e":{"name":"Persian miniature mounted as album leaf","alternate_name":"Kneeling young woman","short_description":"This single leaf miniature of a kneeling young woman is one of a group of works that all show the same motif. The original design dates from shortly after 1550 and is part of an album (*muraqqaʿ*) made in Hegira 968 (AD 1560/61) for Amir Husayn Beg, the treasurer of Shah Tahmasp (r. Hegira 930-984, AD 1524-1576). Our fully coloured kneeling woman can be related to a lightly tinted brush drawing now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  \n  \nAs noted later, most probably by an Ottoman librarian in the margin, whether Vali Jan is actually the creator is questionable. The Persian artist left his homeland in the early 1580s and subsequently worked in the painting workshop of the Ottoman court. There he became famous for his intricate drawings of large, serrated leaves, so-called *saz*\\-leaves. It can be said with certainty, however, that this painting found its way to Istanbul before 1700. This is indicated by an Ottoman copy from the early 18th century, which depicts the young woman mirror-inverted. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Armenian-born art historian Armenag Bey Sakisian acquired the leaf in Istanbul and published it in 1929 in his standard work *La Miniature persane du XIIe au XVIIe siècle*.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Before 1929-ca. 1943: Armenag Bey Sakisian; ca. 1943-1981: Maurice Bouvier (1901-1981); 1981-2019: descendants of Maurice Bouvier","dates":"Hegira 978-988 / AD 1570-1580","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 24.6 x 15.9cm","place_of_production":"Iran (miniature) and probably Istanbul (outer border)","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works the approximate date of production could be established.","method_for_provenance":"The first known owner published this miniature in 1929.","provenance":"Iran (miniature)","obtention":"Purchased with funds of the Rietberg-Kreis","bibliography":"Armenag Bey Sakisian, *La miniature persane du XIIe au XVIIe siècle: Ouvrage accompagné de la reproduction de 193 miniatures dont deux en couleurs* , Paris/Bruxelles: G. van Oest, 1929: 125 and plate 43, ill. 166.  \nDenny, W.B. , \"Dating ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style”, *Muqarnas*, 1 (1983): 103-121.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["ink and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"c671443a-8a37-5c35-975f-840074e8db8a":{"name":"*Woman Playing a String Instrument*","description":"In this painting there is an Ottoman woman in her daily attire with her hair covered by an embroidered and printed kerchief. She plays a string instrument. Music was one of the most popular kinds of amusement in Turkish harems. The lute in particular, and similar string instruments, have always occupied an important place in the lives of women. This picture was used on the cover of a special issue of *Le Figaro Illustré* dedicated to Zonara and published in 1908, and also appeared in *Der'i Se'adet*, a book written by Adolphe Thalasso and illustrated by Zonaro.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Early 20th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"c6e8e098-9188-59cf-be1b-4970bdaade20":{"name":"Nablous : Australian cavalry entering the ancient Shechem, the capital of Samaria","description":"A column of Australian cavalry gallops along a road on the valley floor into the small town of Shechem. The rear of the column is in the foreground, with the front of it just entering the town, whose buildings are visible in the distance. The valley is bordered, to the left and right, by steep-sided hills.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"21.09.1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Unframed height: 27,9 cm; unframed width: 44,4 cm","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["Australian Army","Australian cavalry","British Mandate and Occupied Territories","First World War","ottoman empire"],"materials":["Watercolour on paper"]},"c766ed2c-4a3f-5af1-a216-8416ad33c1ad":{"name":"The thorny plant that grows in mountains  \nFolio from *Khawass al-Ashjar* (*De Materia Medica*)","short_description":"One of the earliest scientific manuscripts to be translated from Greek into Arabic was Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, as it is called in Latin. Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician, wrote his treatise on medicinal plants in the first century CE. The manuscript was initially translated into Syriac and then into Arabic in Baghdad in the 9th century (Guesdon and Nouri 2001, p. 118). It became the foundation for Islamic pharmacology and was copied widely. The present folio is from a rare dispersed 13th-century Arabic copy of the text, in which are depicted various medicinal herbs and roots with an accuracy characteristic of Arab scientific texts produced during this period. The illustrations follow the Greek model closely. The paintings do not lack artistic sensibility and, for accuracy, each specimen is depicted in its entirety from tip to root against the plain paper ground. The recto side of this page depicts a large red bramble plant with five thorned branches arranged symmetrically. A mass of green shoots, topped with red flowers, clusters at the base of the plant, which has a red root. The text identifies the plant as rasiyun, “the thorny plant that grows in the mountains.” The verso side of the page shows a single-stemmed plant with red spiky blossoms, and the text states that this medicinal plant is used in the treatment of skin disorders, including pustules, itching and ulcers.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1200","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 16.8cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Guesdon, Marie-Geneviève and Vernay-Nouri, Annie, *L’Art du livre arabe: Du manuscript au livre d’artiste*, Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, 2001.","keywords":["folio","plants","science","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"c7c7015e-6302-5b17-8d29-534365062bab":{"name":"View of Torre de los siete Picos, the Alhambra Palace","alternate_name":"*Torre de los Siete Picos, La Alhambra*","description":"In his travels to Granada Joaquin Sorolla was fascinated by the monument of the Alhambra, the palace of Naridd kingdom of Granada. It is, along with the Mosque of Cordoba, the most important monument of Muslim Spain. Sorolla's paintings are far away from the Orientalism topics, and instead it recreates in the beauty of its nooks and gardens, capturing a more personal and intimate perspective of the monument. In this view from afar, highlights the beauty of the building and its surroundings.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1910","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"c8398422-799a-55c7-8104-53c86c320ef8":{"name":"The Fountain of the Virgin, Jerusalem","description":"A Christian woman wearing a traditional white headdress at the entrance of the Virgin’s Fountain in the Kidron Valley, near Silwan in Jerusalem. She holds a water jug, which presumably she has just filled. Behind her a man descends into the tunnel to access the spring.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1286 / AD 1869","location":"London","dimensions":"32.6 x 48.2cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1869 and signed by the artist","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Fountain of the Virgin Gihon Spring","Jerusalem","Silwan"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"c869c0fc-13da-5c97-9a34-aeb4470de17e":{"name":"*Top of the garden at Marengo, ancient Marabout*","description":"This part of Algiers has a particularly rich history. The painting depicts the famous mausoleum of Sidi Abderrahmane Ettaâlibi ('Abd al-Rahman al-Thalibi) who was a member of one of the most ancient families of Algiers. He was buried here in the 7th century and was made the Patron Saint of Algiers due to his reputation as a wise and knowledgeable man.","type":"Drawing","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"c. 1880","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"c8a7c58e-d37a-5d59-9506-320c260a750e":{"name":"Saint Nicholas of Zaraisk with Various Scenes","description":"Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from modern-day Turkey, is one of the most venerated saints in Russia. He is known as a protector of the weak and poor. Stories of Saint Nicholas giving gifts to the needy and protecting children spread far and wide as people traveled or emigrated from Russia to other countries. In this icon, Saint Nicholas is shown full-length, giving a blessing with his right hand while holding the Bible with his left. He is flanked by images of the Mother of God and Christ. The images in the border depict important moments from his life.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"1500s","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 124.5cm, Width: 94cm, Depth: 5.2cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"From the private collection of Dr. Andreas Pittas. Purchased by Gordon Lankton from the Temple Gallery, London, in 2011. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"c9b1b21a-3afb-57cb-86e1-8e151adf4e75":{"name":"Haftvad and the Worm  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"The vast historical scope, imaginative power, and national importance of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), an epic poem completed by Firdausi in 1010, have inspired countless works of art in all media. This folio AKM164 (folio 521 verso) from the *Shahnameh* produced for Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76) centres around Haftvad, a modest man with seven sons and one daughter whose fate is entwined with the rise of the Sasanian dynasty (224–651).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1540","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper","Zahhak"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"c9db4ac7-c541-5c49-b622-0b3423e00d75":{"name":"Mirror case with compartment for instruments","short_description":"The case houses a mirror that is protected by a lid. In the lower part is a compartment that can be pulled out which originally held various instruments, including a pair of scissors. The lid bears the signature typical of Muhammad ʿAli Ashraf: *zi baʿd-i muḥammad ʿali ashraf ast*. On the one hand, this is a commitment to Shiite Islam: \"After Muhammad \\[the Prophet\\], ʿAli \\[ibn Abi Talib\\] is the highest.\" On the other hand, it can also be interpreted as an indication of a teacher-disciple relationship: \"After Muhammad \\[ʿAli\\] follows in rank ʿAli Ashraf.\" Most likely this refers to Muhammad ʿAli (active Hegira 1111-1133 / AD 1700-1721), the son of Muhammad Zaman (active Hegira ca. 1072-1105 / AD ca. 1662-1694) and nephew of Haji Muhammad (active Hegira 1084-1124 / AD 1673-1712). For his part, Muhammad ʿAli Ashraf was the teacher of Muhammad Baqir (active Hegira ca. 1160s-1204 / AD ca. 1750s-1790) and Muhammad Sadiq (active Hegira ca. 1163-1209 / AD ca. 1750-1795). They are among the most famous Persian artists of the 18th century.  \n  \nThe link to the artistic circle around Muhammad Zaman resonates in the decoration of the case. It shows roses and nightingales, pers. *gul-u-bulbul*. The theme had been present in Persian love poetry for centuries and echoes back to more mystical times. It is assumed that the painting genre goes back to Chinese bird-and-flower painting, which had become known in Persia in the 15th century. In the 17th century, after a lengthy interruption, it was Shafiʿ ʿAbbasi (active Hegira 1040-1066 / AD 1631-1656) who concentrated entirely on flowers and birds, inspired by both European prints and Indian examples. Muhammad Zaman, his brother Haji Muhammad, and his sons Yusuf Muhammad and Muhammad ʿAli further pursued the genre. In the hands of Muhammad ʿAli Ashraf and his pupils, it received its final alterations and ultimate form.","type":"Box","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Before 1996: private collection, UK; 1996-2011, private collection, London","dates":"Hegira 1167 / AD 1753/54","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 20.9cm, Width: 15cm, Height: 2.5cm","method_for_datation":"The artist signed and dated his work.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2013.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Langer, Axel, *The Fascination of Persia: The Persian-European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art & Contemporary Art from Tehran*, exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2012: 235, cat. 136.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["lacquer","mirror","Opaque watercolour","Paper maché"]},"ca166fd8-40d8-5568-b817-4999a1ea04de":{"name":"\"The Eavesdropper\"","alternate_name":"Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This folio once illustrated a magnificent manuscript of Nizami’s Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits). The story of the Seven Portraits comprises a series of moralizing tales as told to the Persian hero Bahram Gur by seven princesses. This lively and lyrical scene illustrates a story in which a youth spies upon maidens swimming in a garden pool by moonlight. The voyeur is barely visible here, peering out of the shuttered window, unbeknownst to the playful bathers below.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"AH ca. 833 / AD ca. 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 22.5 cm, width: 12.4 cm; Page: height: 27.9 cm, width: 18.3 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nLukens, M. G. \"The Language of the Birds: The Fifteenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in Ars Orientalis vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.* , (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision.*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, no.62, (1989).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch. \"et l'Enigme de Behzad de Herat (1465–1535).\" In *L'Art Figuratif en Islam Medieval.*, Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455059","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"ca4bf20e-94a9-50b1-bca9-38b4f7855c35":{"name":"*Salt Watercolours*","description":"A watercolour scene showing the king before various gods from the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, drawn by Henry Salt shortly after the discovery of the tomb by the explorer Giovanni Belzoni in 1817. The freshness of the colours amazed the early travellers.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1817","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt"},"ca9bb919-8384-510d-b5f3-6ce0848cba75":{"name":"*The conquest of Acre by Austrian troops, November 4th, 1840*","description":"After the blockade of the Nile delta by the Royal Navy and the Austrian War Navy, and the conquest of Sidon, British and Austrian forces then attacked the city of Acre. Similar to Sidon, the port and the city of Acre were first bombarded for one day (November 3rd). The following day, a small landing party of Austrian, British and Ottoman troops – led personally by the Austrian fleet commander Archduke Friedrich of Austria (1821–1846) – finally took the citadel.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"1902 (Signed and dated: \"Josef Schönbrunner 1902\" | \"nach L. Ruß\")","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"cbe9cbbe-7273-52d1-8920-45ea27d852f8":{"name":"Rustam shooting Ashkabus and his horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio, which depicts one of the hero Rustam’s more unusual victories in single combat, was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.3 x 24.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","poem","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and ink on paper","Gold","Opaque watercolour"]},"cc673275-b5d7-50ff-bc5e-1a4f9c06e998":{"name":"The Celebration of the Prophet Muhammad in Tangier","alternate_name":"*Festa di Maometto a Tangeri*","description":"Stefano Ussi lived between Florence and Rome and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence before enrolling as a volunteer in the first Italian War of Independence, during which he was taken prisoner by the Austrian troops. In 1875 Italian King Vittorio Emanuele II sent an embassy to Morocco which included the writer Edmondo De Amicis and the painters Ussi and Cesare Biseo. The innovative international relations policy of the young Sultan Mulay al-Hassan fostered relations with the Italian King. During his trip, Ussi sketched drafts on Arab every-day life scenes which later inspired his larger paintings.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1879","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"cceaf42f-eb5f-541e-a0f9-aad5efa6922d":{"name":"*Dispute between St. Catherine of Alexandria and the Philosophers*","description":"Johann Lucas Kracker was born into a family of sculptors who had settled in Vienna but originated from Czechoslovakia. Completing his academic studies in Vienna, his career began in Ljubljana and continued in Znojmo, where he married and had children. From the 1750s he worked in Hungary, initially for the Premonstratensians in Jasov. His greatest achievement is the monumental ceiling fresco in the nave of the Church of St. Nicholas in Prague, Malá Straná (1760/61). After “commuting” to Moravia and Lower Austria for over a decade, he settled finally in Eger in 1768 where his patron, Bishop Károly Eszterházy, showered him with work. The most notable of these commissions was the fresco in the library of the Lyceum of Eger (*The Council of Trent*) painted with his assistant, Joseph Zach in 1778. The signed oil sketch of St. Catherine for the high altar of Egerbakta Parish Church in the Hungarian National Gallery is a masterpiece of a later date. The religious dispute of the young Christian woman, Catherine of Alexandria who lived in the early 4th century, adjusts itself to a Viennese model and Michelangelo Unterberger's composition *The Twelve-Year-Old Christ in the Temple*. The style of the sketch is rugged and restless; the figures elongated and with small heads. Golden yellow predominates among the vibrant colours of the *bozzetto*, while in the final, larger variant both the forms and the colours are calmer. As victorious Ecclesia, Catherine, who converted 50 sages and the empress in a religious debate, proclaimed the truth of the Church shaken by the Enlightenment.","short_description":"Johann Lucas Kracker, a Viennese artist whose family was of Czech origin, finally settled in Hungary having married and had children in Znojmo. Employed by the Bishop of Eger who showered him with work, he worked on a number of frescos and altarpieces later in his career. This small, signed oil *bozzetto* is a study for the high altar of Egerbakta Parish Church.","type":"Oil sketch (*bozzetto*)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","initial_owner":"The artist or the Bishop of Eger","dates":"1775","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 76.5 cm; w: 40.5 cm","place_of_production":"Eger","method_for_datation":"By analogy, archive data and by the signature on the high altar in Egerbakta.","provenance":"Commissioned by the Bishop of Eger","obtention":"Purchased from BÁV (Hungarian Commission Shop) in Budapest in 1981.","bibliography":"Jávor, A., *Johann Lucas Kracker. Ein Maler des Spätbarock in Mitteleuropa* (*Johann Lucas Kracker: A Late Baroque Painter in Central Europe*), Budapest, 2005, pp. 128, 288.","workshop":"Painter of altarpieces and frescoes in Moravia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Judit Pokoly","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["bishop Károly Eszterházy","Bozzetto","Christian themes","Enlightenment","Jasov","Jászó","Johann Lucas Kracker","Joseph Zach","Lyceum","Michelangelo Unterberger","patronage"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"cd089341-0bb9-55f0-b578-8f53eb67a553":{"name":"*Woman with a Cat*","short_description":"During the rule of the Zand and Qajar dynasties in Iran (1750–1925), artists created paintings that combined both Persian and Western sensibilities. From Europe came the tradition of large-scale oil painting, while the subject matter of youthful beauty, patterned textiles, and court life was quintessentially Persian. Many of these works were arched at the top because they were originally intended for display in arched niches of buildings.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; painting","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira late 12th century / AD late 18th century","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 163.8 x 88.3 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["Iran","painting","women","Zand dynasty"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"cd5b9635-c13b-5dc6-8783-210593843bb9":{"name":"*Madonna with Child and Saints* (Anthony of Padua, Martin, Roch and Sebastian)","description":"Painted in 1655, the «small picture with the Blessed Virgin, St. Martin, St. Sebastian, St. Roch and St. Anthony of Padua for the municipality of Trasasso», is still in its original location.  \nMade for a peripheral area, the painting is an example of the style of a young woman artist at the beginning of her carrier, when she was still strictly dependent on her father and teacher, the painter Giovanni Andrea Sirani. The painting of the *Madonna and Child and Saints* painted by Giovanni Andrea in the same years for the church of Santi Luigi e Alessio(today, in Rome, church of San Petronio dei Bolognesi) was clearly a model for his daughter and pupil. Elisabetta, however, goes back to the roots of Bolognese classicism, imitating the more vibrant and rich results of Annibale Carracci in his celebrated *Madonna with Saint Louis* (Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale).  \nThe divine is interpreted in a more human way through the intimate and confidential dialogue between the Virgin in glory with the Child and the saints, nearly tangible, standing on the step in the foreground. Tenderness is glimpsed under the polished and soft surfaces, a sort of prelude of the artist’s future stylistic inclinations: Elisabetta starts to experiment with her own language with a prestigious and difficult genre: the altarpiece.","short_description":"The painting, made for a peripheral area, is the first public commission of by a famous woman painter at a very young age, she was only seventeen years old. It shows her extremely precocious talent and underlines the still strong link with Bolognese Classicism through the influence of Annibale Carracci and Guido Reni, the master of Giovanni Andrea Sirani, father and master of Elisabetta.","type":"Painting","holder":"Church of San Martino","dates":"1655","location":"Trasasso di Monzuno, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"255x195 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"The date of the execution, 1655, and the original location (unchanged) are quoted in the *List of paintings* written by the painter herself and published by her biographer, count Carlo Cesare Malvasia (*Nota*, in Carlo Cesare Malvasia, *Felsina pittrice*, Bologna 1678, (ed. cons. 1841), p. 393).","obtention":"Made for the church of Trasasso.","bibliography":"Frisoni, F. “La vera Sirani”, *Paragone* 335: I, 1978, pp. 3-10, fig. 5.  \nFrisoni, F. “Elisabetta Sirani”, *La pittura in Italia. Il Seicento* (eds. M. Gregori and E. Schleier), II, Milan, 1989, pp. 888-889, fig. 888.  \nGhirardi, A. in *Imago Virginis. Donne artiste e sacro fra passato e presente* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. V. Fortunati), Bologna, 1996, p. 67.  \nGraziani, I. in *Elisabetta Sirani “pittrice eroina” (1638-1665)*(exhibition catalogue) (eds. J. Bentini and V. Fortunati), Bologna, 2004, p. 248.  \nModesti, A. *Elisabetta Sirani. Una Virtuosa del Seicento Bolognese*, Bologna, 2004, p. 297, fig. 163, p. 301.","workshop":"Followers of Guido Reni","copyright":"Copyright image: Ufficio Beni culturali ecclesiastici della diocesi di Bologna.","author":"Irene Graziani","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","Elisabetta Sirani","Giovanni Andrea Sirani","Guido Reni","Religious/liturgical painting","women"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"cd8363f9-fa9a-5f8b-942e-3c9d931124ec":{"name":"Saint Paraskeva","description":"Saint Paraskeva was born to Christian parents during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. She was given the name Paraskeva (Greek for “Friday”) since Friday was the day of Christ’s crucifixion as well as the day of her birth. She was arrested during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius for preaching Christianity. He offered her great wealth and even proposed marriage if she renounced her faith, but she refused. The enraged emperor placed her in boiling oil, and when she did not show any pain, demanded to know whether she had used magic to cool the oil. She responded by throwing the hot liquid at the emperor, instantly blinding him. He asked Paraskeva for help and she healed him with water from a nearby stream. Antoninus Pius set her free, converted to Christianity and stopped persecuting Christians. The inscription on the scroll in this icon reads as follows:  \n  \n\\[H\\]ighly praised is thy name – of Father and Son and Holy Spirit, my Lord God – now and forever. For thou forgave me and did not reject my humility nor my prayer; and thy being pleased by me is incomprehensible.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1600","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 118cm, Width: 76cm, Depth: 6.5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2006. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"cd92294b-9a44-5ec7-ac3e-4d56ac099c03":{"name":"*The Emperor Shah Jahan Watching A Wrestling Match*","short_description":"The miniature painting depicted a scene of Shah Jahan looking out of a palace window for a wrestling match. On recto, inscribed with *nasta’liq* script “The picture of King Shah Jahan, the Princes his Sons and / the Nobles of the Court viewing a combat Wrestlers”. The wrestlers as shown in the painting are surrounded by the courtiers.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1150 / c. AD 1750","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"47 x 34cm","provenance":"Delhi or Lucknow","bibliography":"Chapman, Caroline, Gibson, Melanie, Manginis, George, McSweeney, Anna, Phillips, Charles & Iain Zaczek, *The Complete Illustrated Guide to Islamic Art and Architecture*, London: Lorenz Books, 2010: 212-213.  \nDe Guise, Lucien, *Jewels without Crowns: Mughal Gems in Miniatures*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2010.","materials":["Gouache heighten with gold on paper"]},"cd9d11ca-ddd3-5d4d-b4c1-278248c60b07":{"name":"*The Judgment of Solomon*","short_description":"The only Persian artists in the 17th century who were able to break with the overwhelming influence of Riza-i Abbasi were those who were inspired by the greater naturalism that characterized not only European but also Indian painting.  \nShaykh Abbasi was one of them, and in this signed and minutely detailed painting, he set the court of Solomon in 17th-century Iran.","type":"Miniature pasted on an album leaf","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1075 / AD 1664","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan","keywords":["India","Leaf","miniature","painting","Persia","Safawid"]},"ce0fc758-0578-5c82-a0bf-76b98283bf9c":{"name":"\"The Concourse of the Birds\"","alternate_name":"Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)","description":"The illustration on this folio depicts a scene from a mystical poem, Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), written by a twelfth-century Iranian, Farid al-Din 'Attar. The birds, which symbolize individual souls in search of the simurgh (a mystical bird representing ultimate spiritual unity), are assembled in an idyllic landscape to begin their pilgrimage under the leadership of a hoopoe (perched on a rock at center right). The careful, harmonious composition is consistent with that of the late fifteenth-century Timurid miniatures also in the manuscript, but three factors indicate that this image is later: the presence of the hunter, who has no place in the narrative; his firearm, a weapon that gained currency in Iran after the mid-sixteenth century; and the signature of the late sixteenth- to early seventeenth-century artist Habiballah.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Abbas I, Isfahan, Iran (ca. 1600–1609); Shrine of Shaikh Safi Al-Din, Ardabil, Iran(ca. 1609–sack of Ardebil, 1826); M. Farid Parbanta(until 1963)","dates":"AH ca. 1000 / AD ca. 1600","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: Height: 25.4 cm, width: 11.4cm; Page: Height: 33 cm , width: 20.8 cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1963","bibliography":"\"Sufi Narratives.\" in *Hali* vol. 191.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Language of the Birds: The Seventeenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries: the Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1970.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen, ed., \"The Historical Background and Illustrative Character of the Metropolitan Museum's Mantiq al-Tayr of 1483.\" In *Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nFerrier, R. W., ed., *The Arts of Persia.*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.  \n  \nde Montebello, P., and K. Howard, ed., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, 6th ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \n  \nAlexander, D., M. al-Malik Abd al-Aziz al-Ammah, D. S. Walker, and H. Nickel., *Furusiyya. The Horse in the Art of the Near East.*, vol. 1. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 1996.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., ed. \"Studies in Honour of Basil W. Robinson.\" In *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars.*, Pembroke Persian papers, vol. 3. London and New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.  \n  \nSims, E., B. Marshak, and E.J. Grube. \"Persian Painting and its Sources.\" In *Peerless Images.*, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nBabaie, S., K. Babayan, I. Baghdiantz-McCabe, and M. Farhad. \"New Elites of Safavid Iran.\" In *Slaves of the Shah.*, Library of Middle East history, vol. 3. London; New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nKia, C., \"Is the Bearded Man Drowning? Picturing the Figurative in a Late-Fifteenth-Century Painting from Herat.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 23 (2006).  \n  \nLewisohn, L., and C. Shackle, ed. \"The art of spiritual flight.\" In *Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition.*, London; New York: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2006.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \n  \nKamada, Y.. \"An Illustrated Manuscript of Mantiq al-Tayr in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.\" in *Orient*, vol. XLV (2010).  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nMumtaz, M., *Faces of God : Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500–1800.*, Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section II South Asia, vol. 39. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451725","materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"ce58ba5d-a393-5547-95fe-76c5d627ffcf":{"name":"Governor Ben Anda's Son with His Escort of Honour","alternate_name":"*Il figlio del governatore Ben Anda con la scorta d’onore*","description":"Stefano Ussi lived between Florence and Rome, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence and then enrolled as a volunteer in the first Italian War of Independence, during which he was taken prisoner by the Austrian troops. The painting represents the arrival of the Italian embassy, of which Ussi was part, in Morocco, in the province of Seffian better known as Ben-Anda, which was the old governor’s family name.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"c. 1879","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"ce8c6cf9-eba8-53fb-82b0-2eb939b70f74":{"name":"*Combat of Dalmatian Imperial infantry at Livno, August 8th, 1878*","description":"Julius von Blaas received many commissions from the court and mostly painted portraits of the imperial family. He also painted naturalistic battle scenes depicting victories of the Austrian Army both past and present, like this scene of the occupation campaign of 1878. Here, the Dalmatian Imperial Infantry is attacking in line formation at Livno. The soldiers in the vanguard are already falling. Contrary to the prognoses of the foreign minister, Count Gyula Andrássy (1823–1890), the occupation campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878 was not just a short “Sunday walk with a concert band”; instead the Austro-Hungarian troops had to face hard military resistance and rugged defence.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"1907 (Signed and dated \"Julius v. Blaas 1907\")","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"d2153895-57ef-583f-b177-30f75fa578f2":{"name":"*Study of an Excavation (Pompei)*","alternate_name":"*Studio di uno scavo (Pompei)*","description":"Filippo Palizzi came from a large family and, along with his three brothers, all painters, introduced in Italy a realistic style of painting which breaks away from academic tradition of religious, mythological or history painting. He depicted real landscapes, people and animals. In 1864 the painter went to Pompei and Paestum where he made a series of studies of archeological ruins discovered in that period from excavation campaigns promoted by the new Italian State.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1864","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"d23ab450-22c3-5cba-b10f-0719d1398789":{"name":"Mirror box","short_description":"The mirror box is signed with the characteristic formula \"*kamtarin muḥammad baqir*\" (the most humble Muhammad Baqir) and dated Hegira 1174 (AD 1760/61). Muhammad Baqir is one of the most famous Persian artists in the 18th century. He was the pupil of Muhammad ʿAli Ashraf (active Hegira 1134-1190 / AD 1722-1777) and worked in the 1750s on the borders of the so-called St. Petersburg album. Without doubt, this mirror box is one of his early independent lacquer works.  \n  \nMuhammad Baqir's oeuvre comprises border paintings for albums, single-leaf drawings and lacquer works. A striking feature of his art is his fascination in works by such renowned late Safavid artists as Muhammad Zaman (active Hegira ca, 1072-1105 / AD ca. 1662-1694) and ʿAliquli Jabadar (active Hegira 1059-1086 / AD 1649-1675) whose work he either copied or used as inspiration for his own creations. This is also the case with the three figurative panels of this mirror box. Thus, the half-naked bathing woman with a red towel sitting on a small rock can be compared to Muhammad Zaman's illustration of the bathing Shirin in a *Khamsa* from 1674/75.","type":"Pencase","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Elsa Mäder","dates":"Hegira 1174 / AD 1760/61","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 17.1cm, Width: 11.6cm, Height: 1.5cm","method_for_datation":"The artist signed and dated his work.","method_for_provenance":"Old museum inventory","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift of Elsa Mäder","bibliography":"Ivanov, Anatoly, “The Compiling and Decoration of the Album”, in Francesca von Habsburg and Elena Kostioukovitch (eds), *The St. Petersburg Muraqqaʿ: Album of Indian and Persian Miniatures from the 16th through the 18th Century and Specimens of Persian Calligraphy by ʿImad al-Hasani*, Lugano/Milan: ARCH Foundation and Leonardo Arte, 1996: 19-32.  \nMaury, Charlotte, and Guillaume, Carol, with a contribution by Alavi, Aida “A First Overview of Golestan 1644: Album Making, Connoisseurship and the Painter Muhammad Baqir”, in Melanie Gibson and Gwenaëlle Fellinger (eds), *Revealing the Unseen: New Perspectives on Qajar Art*, Berkeley: Gingko Press, 2022: 16-41.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["lacquer","metal","Opaque watercolour","Papier maché"]},"d27f7bc1-9e5e-581e-a7d7-9666172ce6a8":{"name":"*The Cock Fight*","alternate_name":"*The Rooster Fight*","description":"Among the best known of his Orientalist paintings from the Balkans are those of domestic life, such as *The Cock Fight*. In this painting Jovanović builds a credible, believable scene. The spectators are fully engaged, each one reacts in his or her own particular way, consistent with their age and appearance. The singularity of Jovanović’s approach is even more evident when contrasted to Western European Orientalist paintings such as Jean Léon Gérôme’s famous *The Cock Fight* of 1847 or Ferentz Eisenhut’s depiction of a cock fight in 1894. Awarded the first prize at the Wien Künstlerhaus exhibition 1898, and having a great success at the Paris Salon in 1906, it was widely reproduced in subsequent years and was surely known to Jovanović. It is evident that studies of the figures directly from nature inform this painting. Jovanović was not only providing a new and authentic category of genre paintings but speaking specifically to a culture that was his own. In the process, he was giving significance to an area and ethnic groups heretofore ignored.","type":"Painting","holder":"The National Museum","dates":"1898","location":"Belgrade","provenance":"Vienna, Austria","author":"Petar Petrovic","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"d33416a4-0a7d-53e7-981b-69aa3e40b575":{"name":"*The Grand Bazaar Istanbul*","description":"This painting provides a fascinating insight into the activities within the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul during the 19th century CE. First built in the 15th century, its importance had declined somewhat in the 19th century, as non-Muslim merchants increasingly established independent shops in the European quarters of Istanbul rather than staying in the ‘outdated’ bazaar. Nevertheless, in 1890, there were still well over 4000 shops in the Bazaar. This image provides much detail about the appearance of traditional merchants and shops. Men, including some soldiers in European-style uniforms, and women in colourful local dress can be seen milling about the bazaar, their costume revealing important details about their ethnicity, profession and social status.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"d450789d-d8de-5381-91d6-952696e07e5e":{"name":"*St. Catherine*","description":"This altarpiece painting represents a young St. Catherine half-kneeling on clouds and wearing a yellow and white dress with a red cloak. She has a crown on her head and holds a lily in her right hand. Beside her are some books and in front of her left knee is a sword. While the clouds surround her, angel heads look out from behind the clouds above her. The composition follows the traditional iconography of the subject.  \nXaver Ferenc (Francis) Falconer was one of the best known members of the Falconer family of artists, which according to tradition, originated from Scotland and settled in Buda at the end of the 18th century. Xaver Ferenc Falconer studied with his grandfather and another painter named Schultz, and became an independent master in 1761. After the early death of his father, the painter Polykarp Falconer, he studied painting with his stepfather János (John) Schultz, a painter from Brandenburg. In 1761 Falconer enrolled at Vienna's Imperial and Royal Court Academy of Painters, Sculptors and Architecture (Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna). He was made a citizen of Buda in 1761, and in 1765 – along with his spouse (whom he married in 1763) – he bought a modest bourgeois house in the castle district of Buda. In 1794, their heirs sold the house and established a shop on the ground floor. Today this house is in the possession of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and serves as a guesthouse. From the altarpieces Falconer executed, only one is still *in situ* in Hungary, Szécsény. In the 1770s Falconer produced some signed altarpiece paintings for the cloisters of the Franciscan order in Croatia.","short_description":"A Baroque altarpiece painting of St. Catherine from the Parish Church of the Viziváros (Watertown) in the district of Buda.","type":"Painting","holder":"Budapest History Museum","owner":"Budapest History Museum","initial_owner":"Parish Church of Viziváros (Watertown), Buda","dates":"Around 1780","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 116 cm; w: 103 cm","place_of_production":"Buda","method_for_datation":"On the basis of historical data","provenance":"Parish Church of Viziváros, (Watertown), Buda","obtention":"Gifted by the parish church of the Víziváros (Watertown).","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (ed G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, p. 21.  \nRepanić-Braun, M., “Franciscus Falconer Pictor Budensis. Ein spätbarocker Maler sakraler Thematik und seine Tätigkeit in Kroatien”, *Művészettörténeti Értesítő*, 2000, pp. 157–166.","author":"Terézia Bardi","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","book","Buda","Christian themes","lily","painting","parish church","religious object","saint","sword"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d51c4926-dec8-5d72-9ed4-34a107dddbd4":{"name":"*Shipping at Constantinople*","description":"Istanbul’s geographic position between Europe and Asia and on the only sea route that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean gave Istanbul great strategic importance. The control of the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, was repeatedly at stake in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This 1910 watercolour gives a wonderful impression of the bustling shipping and trading activities on the waters surrounding the city of Constantinople at the time. The view is taken from the Galata side of the city, looking across the Golden Horn towards its historic heart, dominated by imperial Suleymaniye mosque on the right and Bayezid tower in the centre. The Galata bridge, in its third incarnation as completed by the British firm G. Wells in 1875, can be seen connecting the two shores. Sailing boats like those seen here brought in wheat, spices and wood. The emergence of the steamship later in the century lead to enormous increase in the speed and volume of commodities shipped to Constantinople.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"1910","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Painted in Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"d549811b-c5d8-5fa3-9488-5db916492dba":{"name":"*The Dinner held at Delphi in Honour of the Painter by the Elder of the Village at Chryso*","description":"This drawing is almost identical to the plate entitled “Dinner at Crisso in the house of the Bishop of Salona”, which is included in Dodwell’s folio *Views in Greece*, (1821). The accompanying text testifies to the artist’s antiquarianism and his attempt to identify classical customs in 19th century life. *“The Bishop of Salona gave us a favourable opportunity of observing some customs which merit commendation as instances in which classical usages have survived. Before sitting down to dinner and after we rose from table we performed the ancient ceremony of washing the hands. Atin bason is taken round to all the company, the servant holding it on his left arm, while with his right hand he pours water from a pewter vessel on the hands of the washer, having a towel thrown over his shoulder to dry them with. This ceremony is mentioned by Hesiod, by Homer, and other authors…”.*","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Early 19th century","location":"Athens","author":"Tsigakou 1995, 116, fig. 7"},"d59e62bc-4bc3-5e41-b150-7cce9eb386c9":{"name":"*The Concert*","alternate_name":"*The Theft of The Ring*","description":"The painting, which was probably kept by the painter's family, is one of a series of Flemish works acquired in 1783 by Marcantonio Borghese. Gerrit van Honthorst, better known in Italy as Gherardo delle Notti, fitted in perfectly with the followers of Caravaggio in Rome, who revisited and reworked Merisi's favourite subjects, especially the secular themes. This piece, which dates from 1626–1630, apparently shows a simple musical theme, although in fact the composition hides a moral meaning.  \nTypical of the art of the Counter-Reformation and particularly esteemed in the culture of the Netherlands, the artist's homeland, are themes related to allegories intended to express moral meanings. In this case, music, an excellent, virtuous, but also ephemeral art, is represented by an old woman who, in pointing to her toothless mouth, appears to be warning the three youths playing a concert of the fleetingness of youth and beauty.  \nThe subject also reveals the trick being played on the young man who, intent on singing, fails to realise that the maiden is taking his earring, with the complicity of the old woman, who is ready to slip it into her pocket. The theme of the trick is related to the allegorical evocation of the five senses: hearing through music, sight in expressive looks, taste through wine and food, touch by the gesture of the seductress, and smell through the nose, which the old woman appears to be pointing to. Special attention is paid to the table, where a basket of fruit is clearly visible. This element combines with the others in a sort of pastiche, the figurative motifs borrowed from famous Caravaggesque works, which also influenced the neutral choice of background.","short_description":"Gerrit Van Honthorst, called Gherardo delle Notti, absorbed the influence of Caravaggio during his stay in Italy (1610–1620). The subject, the composition, the still life on the table, the light falling on the left, all are quotations from Caravaggio's works.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Van Honthorst Collection (?)","dates":"1626-30","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 168 cm; w: 202 cm","place_of_production":"Rome","provenance":"Marcantonio Borghese Collection (?)","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I Dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n. 239, pp. 165–166.  \nEconomopoulos, H., in *I colori della musica. Dipinti, strumenti e concerti tra Cinquecento e Seicento*, exhibition catalogue (Rome), Milan, 2000, cat. 48, pp. 216–217.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., in *Degustazioni d'arte. Enologia mitica, spirituale, simbolica e metafisica nelle collezioni pubbliche di Roma*, Rome, 2003, pp. 58–59.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","Caravaggio","Dutch painting","five senses","Flemish painting","music","secular themes","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d62a8aad-7189-5f2c-a39f-c9a6febe7aa4":{"name":"*Ancient Istanbul Houses*","description":"Hoca Ali Rıza is known as the first painter who used landscapes in Turkish painting. A study of the artist’s works also readily reveals architectural structures which have changed since his time. Such structures included mosques, fountains, dervish monasteries and lodges, tombs, *sebils* (public fountains installed by charities), ruins, cemeteries, bridges, stately homes new and old, towers, old houses and other subjects which architecturally and historically speaking might have been considered ordinary in his day, but which he pursued with a passion. Riza is completely realistic in his works and he specialized in depicting landscapes using light and shadow.","type":"Painting","holder":"Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting and Sculpture Museum","dates":"1858–1930","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"d69ce4c6-4db6-5eba-bc2f-4c16c9bf8894":{"name":"Women by the Well","description":"This painting elegantly encapsulates a quotidian moment imbued with the rural essence of Jordanian tradition. The scene under consideration depicts a group of figures, predominantly female, congregated around a stone well situated beneath a clear blue sky, with lush greenery and palm trees serving as a backdrop. The utilisation of vibrant hues and meticulous attention to detail serves to elicit a sense of concord between humans, architecture and nature.  \nThe composition is centred on the well structure, which is composed of warm, sandy stones and framed by an arched entrance that serves as both a practical and symbolic focal point. This concept encompasses not only the physical source of water but also serves as a nexus for community and social interaction. The women's actions, drawing, carrying and pouring water reflect cooperation and rhythm in everyday life, while their vibrant clothing, rich in blues, reds and greens, highlights cultural identity and regional craftsmanship.  \nThe artist's employment of colour and light engenders an atmosphere that is serene and almost celebratory. The distinct contours and vivid colour scheme bear resemblance to folk painting and naïve art, placing emphasis on storytelling and collective memory as opposed to strict realism. This approach encourages viewers to recognise the aesthetic value of simplicity and to acknowledge the dignity of routine activities.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","location":"Jordan","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/jack-girdlestone/#artwork-9","author":"Dina Turkieh","keywords":["oil","water","Well","women"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d69d5ebf-06df-5404-94a9-7a8bcef7bfac":{"name":"Mahmal Print","short_description":"This copper print depicts the ceremonial *mahmal* in the pilgrimage procession from Cairo to Mecca during the month of *hajj*. The *mahmal* is a tent-like cloth covering the camel litter and bearing the new *kiswa* to be bestowed upon the Kaaba.  \n  \nDated 1729 in Leiden, the Dutch publisher Pieter van der Aa printed this illustration of the religious caravan traveling to Saudi Arabia with Muslim pilgrims. The picture brings the pilgrimage to life and labels indicate the individual elements, including the commander and his wife who are carried within the palanquin.  \n  \nAs worshippers around the world apply for the *hajj* visa, this print may reflect the importance of the pilgrimage for Dutch Muslims today, while contemporary exhibitions in the Netherlands commemorate this pillar of Islam.","type":"Painting","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"1729","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 53cm, Width: 48cm, Height: 1.6cm","place_of_production":"Netherlands, Leiden","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were derived from the name of the publisher and year indicated on the print.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were derived from the name of the publisher and year indicated on the print.","provenance":"Netherlands","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Marjo, B., \"Moved by Mecca: The meanings of the hajj for present-day Dutch Muslims\", in Ingvild Flaskerud and Richard J Natvig, *Muslim Pilgrimage in Europe*, UK: Taylor & Francis, 2017: 29-42.  \nSardi, M. (2013), \"Weaving for the Hajj under the Mamluks\", *The Hajj: Collected Essays*,: 169-174.  \nYoung, W., \"The Kaʿba, Gender, and the Rites of Pilgrimage\", *International Journal of Middle East Studies*, 25 : 2 (1993): 285–300.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Kaaba","Kiswa","Mahmal","Mecca","Prints","Saudi Arabia"],"materials":["Ink","Paper","Print","Wood"]},"d6d69c7b-e931-5628-b682-41484e297c16":{"name":"*Woman with a Branch of Dates*","description":"Faiq Hassan was among the pioneering artists in Iraq who obtained formal art education and was awarded a government scholarship to pursue studies in Paris. In AH 1356 / AD 1938, he assumed the directorship of the recently established *Ma’had al-Funun al-Jamila fi Baghdad* (Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad), a role he held until AH 1382 / AD 1962.  \nHassan belonged to the cohort of *'al-Ruwwad'* (the Pioneers), a group of painters that integrated elements of everyday Iraqi life into their artwork and defied conventional studio methods. He followed the artistic principle of istilham al-turath, which focused on taking inspiration from heritage. This principle was developed by *Jama'at Baghdad lil-Fann al-Hadith* (Baghdad Group for Modern Art), which was founded in AH 1370 / AD 1951.  \n  \n'A Woman with a Branch of Dates' shows an Iraqi woman wearing a black traditional garment and holding a basket of dates , before an abstract, flattened village background. Hassan preferred to depict everyday life in rural areas. He merged the artistic traditions of ancient Mesopotamia with modernism to cultivate an awareness of Iraqi national identity.","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1370- 1379 / AD 1950–1959","location":"Doha","dimensions":"75cm × 61cm × 0.5cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Dates","water","woman"],"materials":["Hardboard","Oil paint"]},"d74f35ca-a39e-5420-b35a-7c0303499e61":{"name":"*Ships in a Harbour*","description":"A finely executed Baroque painting of a harbour with ships and throngs of people on the shore. The composition is a rare example of a small size genre piece, which may have been part of a series. The execution of the painting is finely detailed, and contrary to its small size, the work is of high quality. This is an unusual representation within the iconography of this type of picture. Scenes of everyday life became common in the 17th and 18th centuries, and depictions of the “low-life” of peasants and the “high-life” of the aristocracy, featuring fashionably dressed figures in different scenes were also common. The popularity of seascapes and maritime pictures spread to Hungary by way of Flemish and Dutch painting. Small seascapes (*zeekens*) were a very popular theme representing – like this painting – imaginary views of exotic ports.","short_description":"A finely executed Baroque genre painting of a harbour with ships and throngs of people on the shore. Because of these and other features, the painting represents a rare example among Baroque seascapes.","type":"Painting","holder":"Budapest History Museum","initial_owner":"Family of Count Zichy","dates":"Second half of the 18th century","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 20 cm, w: 40 cm","method_for_datation":"By historical data","provenance":"Family of Count Zichy","obtention":"From the bequest of Count Jenő Zichy in 1903.","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (*Budapest in the Modern Times*), (ed. G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, p.29","author":"Beatrix Basics","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["genre painting","Oil painting","Zichy family"],"materials":["Oil on panel"]},"d75fdd85-26c2-5bef-8d42-b7e7435167f5":{"name":"The rulers of the Mughal dynasty from Babur to Awrangzeb, with their ancestor Timur","short_description":"Timur occupies the central position in this group portrait. From the front, and on the left are the emperors Shah Jahan, Akbar and Babur, with Abu Sa‘id, ruler of Samarkand, and Timur’s son, Miranshah. On the right are the emperors Awrangzeb, Jahangir and Humayun, and two of Timur’s other sons, ‘Umar Shaykh and Muhammad Sultan. The figures are identified by legends in gold.  \nThe setting is a terrace overlooking a garden with cypress trees. The figures kneel on a rich floral carpet on which are precious objects, including two unusual incense burners and an enamelled table with two Chinese porcelain vases. So meticulous are the details that smoke rising from the incense burners can be seen.  \nAlthough the composition must date from the beginning of Awrangzeb’s reign, the style of the painting suggests that it is an 18th century work, and that it was painted by Bhawani Das. His signature appears on a virtually identical hexagonal table in a painting in the Binney Collection.","type":"Painting; album page; Mughal dynasty","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"c. AD 1707–12","location":"London","dimensions":"Page: 25.8 x 31.5cm; painting: 20.8 x 31.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date, provenance and attribution based on stylistic grounds as ell as the subject matter depicted.","provenance":"India","bibliography":"York Leach, L., *Paintings from India*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 8, 1998: cat.40, pp.142–9.  \nYork Leach, L., “The Timurids as a Symbol for the Emperor Jahangir”, in S. Canby (ed.), *Humayun’s Garden Party. Princes of the House of Timur and Early Mughal Painting*, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1994.","keywords":["cypress","garden","gold","India","ink","Mughal","painting","Paper","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","mounted on card as an album page","panel (on the reverse) written in nasta‘liq"]},"d7670c25-7540-57e5-9687-097d572b293a":{"name":"*Moor with oranges*","alternate_name":"*Moro con naranjas*","description":"Sorolla painted this Moor with oranges in Italy (where he lived on a scholarship), at the end of 1885 or beginning of 1886, long before he travelled to Tiwan, Morocco, in 1919. This is a typical example of Oriental painting made for sale, as Orientalist painting was very fashionable at the time. Sorolla painted mostly Moors and concubines, which conformed to Western ideals of life in the East and not necessarily with reality. Like the main character of this painting, a Moor smoking, wearing the exotic hijab and barefoot, holding an orange in his hand.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"1885–1886","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"d774f40f-b0fd-5b12-b1f9-f0ce525c936c":{"name":"*The Hunt of Diana*","description":"The work was commissioned from Domenichino by his patron, Cardinal Pietro Aldrobrandini. However, it came into the possession of Cardinal Scipione Borghese when he took it by force from the artist's study, depriving the original client, a nephew of Clement VIII (1592–1605), his traditional rival. The subject is inspired by a passage from Virgil's *Aeneid* (canto V) that describes the archery competition between Aeneas' friends: aiming at a dove tied to a post, the first archer hits the post; the second cuts the ribbon holding the bird; the third misses and the fourth shoots regardless to demonstrate his skill, and his arrow bursts into flames and ends up in the clouds. The sequence is transposed into the domain of nymph disciples of Diana, the goddess of hunting, an idyllic and luminous environment that represents the mythical Arcadia. The literary metaphors derive from the cultured Domenichino's involvement with G. B. Agucchi, secretary to the cardinal and adviser to the painter in the conception of the work.  \nIn the representation of the nymphs' play, the painter is attempting to paint the poetic and chronological narration of the facts, lifting pictorial art above poetic art and, in general dissolving the limit traditionally placed on different art forms; a topic that was widely discussed in the Baroque period.  \nThe pose and the expression of the “affections” (feelings) on the faces help to explain the succession of events, while the unbridled play is contained in a classical equilibrium. The nymph holding the greyhound shows us what will happen to the two male figures hidden amongst the bushes on the right-hand side of the canvas.  \nAccording to the myth, Diana's terrible rage was unleashed against the hunter Actaeon who, having seen her bathing, was turned into a stag and devoured by his own dogs. One of the nymphs immersed in the water, tender and sensual, gazes at the viewer and links the internal and external spaces of the painting; another attempt to overcome limitations, in this instance spatial, that is typical of Baroque art.","short_description":"The canvas was painted for Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, nephew of the preceding Pope Clement VIII, who had a strong dislike for the Borghese family. However, Cardinal Scipione wanted the painting for himself and had it forcibly removed from the artist's studio, imprisoning the artist for several days.  \nIn this painting Domenichino synthesises the colour of Bolognese painting, Roman drawings and Leonardo's theories on aerial perspective.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese","dates":"1616–1617","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 225 cm; w: 320 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n. 31, pp. 28–29.  \nSpear, R. E., *Domenichino*, New Haven–London, 1982, n. 52, pp. 192–194.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., *La Caccia* *di Diana. Della genesi del dipinto, della questione dell'antico e del colore in rapporto della teoria di padre Matteo Zaccolini* in *Domenichino*, exhibition catalogue (Rome), Milan, 1996, pp. 240–252.  \nKliemann, J., 'Domenichino Jagd der Diana in der Galleria Borghese', in *Römisches Jahrbuch der Bibliotheca Hertziana*, 31, 1996, pp. 272–311.  \nTantillo, A. M., in *L'idea del Bello*, exhibition catalogue (Rome), Milan, 2000, n. 8, pp. 331–334.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["aereal perspective","Bolognese influence","Bolognese painting","Classical model","Leonardo da Vinci","mythology","patronage","Roman drawing"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d78b8b3a-ee36-596b-9334-2db393fb9dc7":{"name":"*Feast at the House of Simon the Pharisee*","description":"The work was initially attributed to Veronese, a hypothesis that, although incorrect, successfully identifies the inspirations of the artist, who, in his early twenties trained in Venice.  \nIn the lagoon city, the painter was able to study the work of Tiziano, Veronese and Tintoretto, as well as Bassano and Schiavone, reworking the characters of Venetian painting through his strictly Ferraran training.  \nThe scene develops within an open loggia framed by columns, two of which appear to be inspired by the columns of Trajan and Antoninus. The representation shows a well known story from the Gospel of St. Luke (7, 36–50) which tells of a feast at the house of Simon, a Pharisee, who believed that he had fulfilled all his duties to God and that, therefore, he had the right to a tranquil, comfortable life. The feast is interrupted by the sinner Magdalene, who shocks those present by kissing Christ's feet, washing them with her tears and sprinkling them with precious scented oils.  \nThe episode highlights divine mercy for sinners who demonstrate humble and sincere penitence. Arranged diagonally around the table, the figures are grouped into small genre scenes characterised by lively expressions, inspired by the style of Bassano. The sky in the background, crossed by intense strips of green, fades into the distant landscape. The fulcrum of the scene has been shifted to the left-hand side of the painting where Magdalene, the jar of ointment at her feet and her hair untied, turns her head in a silent dialogue with Christ.  \nThe intense colours, lively gestures and unusual perspective are indicative of the taste that precluded the scenic representations of the Baroque period.","short_description":"The historical reference refers to the Gospel of St. Luke: Mary Magdalene who was in the house of Simon during a banquet. Kneeling at the feet of Christ with her usual attribute, a jar of ointment, she washes His feet and dries them with her long hair. The protagonists of the scene are not in the central part of the composition, but on the left-hand side that becomes the fulcrum for the narrative.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"c. 1590–95","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 81 cm; w: 140 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.114, p. 66.  \nNovelli, M. A., *Lo Scarsellino*, Bologna, 1955 (republished Milan, 1964), n.147, p. 39.  \nHermann Fiore, K., in *Il museo senza confini. Dipinti ferraresi del Rinascimento nelle raccolte romane*, Milan, 2002, cat. 19, p. 169.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["architectonic perspective","Christian themes","perspective","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d804899b-9769-5c70-a8ff-438b6dcac6e8":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Mahlaj shows his skill to Zumurrud Shah and runs a spear through a tree","short_description":"\"Mahlaj mounted a horse and began to exhibit his skill in spear-throwing. A camel stuffed with sand was brought, and Mahlaj charged it and planted his spear into its side in such a way that it passed straight through. Then he picked up the camel and its load and hurled it over his head. A cheer arose from the people. Next he speared the tree so hard that it split in two. 'My Lord,' said Mahlaj, 'if anyone can pull this spear out of the tree, he will have performed a real feat.' This he said, and he dismounted.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Hamzanama","Mahlaj","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"d8518639-1ed2-5598-8b01-7b8bd53b00f0":{"name":"The *Annunciation*","description":"Initially composed of four panels, this piece was originally of a different size. Recent tests have proved that its lower section has been cut on both sides. Prior to this recent modification, the work underwent further changes. The Virgin Mary is represented in the second condition of the Angelic Colloquium of the Mystery of the Annunciation, by Friar Roberto Caracciolo de Lecce (1425‒1495). That is to say, this is the moment of *cogitatio* or reflection, in which the Virgin considers the Angel’s words and demonstrates her prudence.  \nSimilar to other paintings alluding to this theme, the work bears witness to symbolism characteristic of representations of the Annunciation: the book that lays opened before Mary; the vase with lilies; the Angel’s sceptre; the bed, topped by its canopy and with its prominent front curtains, upon which the knots are formed; the column between the two characters, and the mat on which Mary is found standing.  \nIn recent years, the study of textiles through paintings, in its manifold categories, has proved to be very useful. Aside from documental sources and extant objects, paintings provide important visual evidence concerning an object’s trade and usage throughout time. In this particular painting, representing a Portuguese domestic interior, the Virgin Mary stands on a mat. Following the Islamic presence in the Iberian Peninsula, which stretched well into the 16th century, floors were commonly covered with mats, mainly in the summer, when they replaced carpets.  \nAlthough this mat could be of Portuguese manufacture (Lisbon, Oporto or the Algarve) it has been associated with the mats woven with palm fibre and decorated with geometric patterns from sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those from the Congo (and Benin and Niger).","type":"Painting","holder":"Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts – Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Foundation","dates":"16th century","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"L: 118cm, W: 103.5cm","method_for_datation":"Authorship was attributed to the Lourinhã Master (active between 1500 and 1540) by Luís Reis Santos in his work dedicated to this artist and published in 1963. This attribution has been rejected in more recent studies, thus it is classified here as the work of a follower of the master.","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Portugal, Lourinhã","obtention":"This was one of Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva's first pieces towards his collection of primitive artworks; donated by Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva in 1953.","bibliography":"Saldanha, Nuno, *Tesouros das Imagens, colecção Museu-Escola de Artes Decorativas Portuguesas – Pintura*, Lisbon: FRESS, 1996.  \nPaulino, Francisco Faria (ed.), *África: nas vésperas do mundo moderno*, Lisbon: CNCDP, 1992.","workshop":"School of the Lourinhã Master","author":"Maria João Ferreira","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["16th century","Portuguese painting","School of the Lourinhã Master","the Annunciation"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"d8f09c37-b8cb-56c1-917a-f069f4830ef2":{"name":"*The Governess*","description":"The position of governess was one of the few professions open to middle-class women of modest means, but it was often a lonely and difficult life because the social status of a governess was ambiguous. She was not a servant in the usual sense but nor was she on equal terms with the family who employed her. Here, the young woman holds a letter which has obviously stirred memories of home. It may be news of a death in her family - letters or cards with black borders were used to announce deaths. Redgrave had a personal interest in representing the life of a governess: his sister Jane was a governess and died young.","type":"Painting","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1844 (painted)  1845 (exhibited)","location":"London","provenance":"United Kingdom","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"d943747b-f71a-55eb-8ef6-d6beeeed2083":{"name":"Salim Kills Rhinoceros and a Lion","short_description":"This painting was once part of a *Shikarnama*, an album of images of the hunt presumably compiled for the Mughal emperor Jahangir while he was still a prince (and thus still known by his birth name, Salim). The prince is shown having just killed a lioness, with a pile of dead rhinoceros nearby. In the background are several dead antelope and around them a group of *shikari*s (hunt attendants), some with antelope slung over their shoulders, one holding the prince’s sword (wrapped in a cloth casing), and one holding a quiver full of arrows, but almost every one of them is looking or gesturing towards the cheetah on the other side of the stream that has just brought down yet another antelope.","type":"Album folio","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1008–13 / AD 1600–04","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"33.5 x 20.9 cm","provenance":"India","keywords":["arms","border decoration","Elephant","floral decoration","flower","hunt","hunting","Illustration","miniature painting","weapons"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"d97e8889-9ee3-5eb8-9ea9-a6732fa73dbd":{"name":"The Mother of God Smolenskaya","description":"This Mother of God icon is known as a *Hodegetria* icon (Greek for “one who shows the way”). It is recognizable by the solemn expression of the Mother of God and the frontal position of the Christ Child delivering a blessing. The Christ Child sits on his mother’s left knee and holds a tightly rolled scroll. A copy of the original *Hodegetria* icon was brought to the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk from Byzantium in the 12th century. In the 15th century, it was transferred to Moscow before being returned to Smolensk. The icon has a silver *repoussé basma* (hammered metal ornamentation) nailed to its surface, as well as a Kremlin School *cloisonné* raised halo dating back to the 17th century.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1500","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 46.8cm, Width: 35.6cm, Depth: 6.3cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2001. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood with silver basma","enamel"]},"d9bc604a-632e-5b67-a98e-6e1c1d0aea7f":{"name":"Reverse painting on glass: Tattoo template with Christian motifs","short_description":"In Cairo, the most famous saints have their weekly visiting day. For Imam Shafi’i it is Friday. The mausoleum of the legal scholar, who died in 820, is one of the most popular sites for Muslim pilgrimages in the city. In the mid-1970s a wandering tattoo artist set up his reverse glass paintings every week on the market place in front of the Shafi’i Mausoleum and waited for customers: Muslims as well as Copts. One of the reverse glass paintings acquired from him shows two images of the Virgin Mary, once as the *Mother of God*, and again as *Our Lady of Sorrows*. The latter image served as a model for the *Mater Dolorosa* of the Florentine 17th century master Carlo Dolci, as it attained cult status from Alexandria to Aswan among Christians. It is said that, in a church on the west bank of the Nile, a coloured print of Dolci's *Our Lady of Sorrows* \"cried tears of blood\" from her right eye for the persecuted Copts.","type":"Religion","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"Before 1976","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"H: 14.1cm, W: 12.8cm","method_for_datation":"Entry in the general inventory and archival documents.","method_for_provenance":"Entry in the general inventory book.","provenance":"Egypt, Cairo; Copts","obtention":"Catalog entry: \"Purchased from Dr. Peter W. Schienerl, Kairo, 1976.\"","bibliography":"Steinmann, Axel, \"Tattoos and Votive Offerings\", in Christian Schicklgruber (ed), *Weltmuseum Wien, exhibition catalogue*, Vienna: Weltmuseum Wien, 2017: 234-235.","materials":["glass","pigment"]},"db39b375-c70e-50cc-84c8-684cd0ce707f":{"name":"Pencase","short_description":"The pencase is adorned with a characteristic decoration consisting of amorphous, leaf-like structures that are entwined together. In their entirety, they are reminiscent of spiral tendrils. Three slightly raised, copper-coloured cartouches “float” on top of this greenish-yellow ground. They are filled with a wave decoration that resembles the guilloche pattern of European goldsmiths.  \n  \nAs far as we know today, this decoration was developed by Rajab ʿAli in the first half of the 19th century, with Abu Talib later taking up the style and making it famous. The pencase exhibited here was probably made by a copyist.  \n  \nAccording to an inscription on the top, the work was ordered by a man named Hasan.","type":"Pencase","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Private collection, Switzerland","dates":"Hegira 1255-1285 / AD 1840-1870","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 21.3cm, Height: 3.6cm, Width: 3.7cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works.","method_for_provenance":"Old museum inventory.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift","bibliography":"Khalili, Nasser, Robinson, B.W., and Stanley, Tim, “The Abu Talib style,” *Lacquer of the Islamic Lands*, vol 1, London: The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, 1996: esp. 222-231.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["lacquer","Opaque watercolour","Papier maché"]},"db7e26a4-3251-5466-8971-8209285633d5":{"name":"\"Alexander and the Circle of Seven Sages\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"9th century AH / 15th Century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting and Text Block: Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 14.3 cm; Page: Height: 27.8 cm, Width 19.7 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships*. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nCasagrande-Kim, R., ed. \"Islamic Transformations of the Classical Past.\" In *Romance and Reason*. Princeton and Oxford: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, no. 26, (2018).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455025","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"dc9bec02-eb7b-5be5-b697-9d2faab3da93":{"name":"*La Mhalla* (painting)","description":"This oil on canvas by Bertrand de Moynier depicts the disembarkment of the *mhalla*, the field army, in the mid-19th century for the collection of taxes. The *mhalla*, a military term, was made up of soldiers, *mamluks*, civil servants, merchants and artisans, which were split into three categories: infantry, cavalry and artillery. This army was supported by informal troops and horsemen from local tribes. The beylical tent has been erected in the centre of the mhalla, next to the service tents for the bey's personnel and the tents for the administrative and fiscal representatives. The future 'Ali Bey III (1882–1902) can be seen in the centre of the painting, in front of the red and green flags.","type":"Painting","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"19th century","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"dd5bbbcb-30cc-5383-b362-bb72392b0cce":{"name":"Nasser and the Nationalisation of the Canal","description":"\"Hamed Owais’s Nasser and the Nationalisation of the Canal can be used to discuss the Cold War period and the rise of twentieth-century Arab nationalism. Painted in 1957, the work refers to Gamal Abdel Nasser’s nationalisation of the Suez Canal in 1956, a moment that became a powerful symbol of anti-imperialism, national sovereignty, and Arab political self-confidence. Owais presents Nasser as a heroic leader surrounded by the people, transforming a specific political event into an image of collective hope and revolutionary legitimacy. The painting is especially useful for explaining how art participated in the construction of Nasserist ideology, where modernisation, social justice, and independence from British and French control were visually linked to the figure of the leader. At the same time, the work opens a discussion about the double nature of political development in the Middle East: the promise of liberation and national dignity on one side, and the centralisation of power around a charismatic state authority on the other.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"1957","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 109.3 cm; width: 134.5 cm; Depth: 2.5 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/nasser-and-the-nationalisation-of-the-canal-mat2015411","keywords":["Arab nationalism","modernisation","political power","Suez Canal"],"materials":["Canvas","Oil paint"]},"dd7c1d21-573b-5dd3-8f6f-94141d1320e3":{"name":"Safi ibn Vali’s Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’)","short_description":"Written during the year-long pilgrimage undertaken by the author, Safi ibn Vali, in 1676–77, the Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’) gives advice to prospective pilgrims on every aspect of the journey: which ships to choose, how to stay healthy, the places to visit, the rituals to be observed and the people one is likely to encounter. Safi ibn Vali’s own pilgrimage (he commenced his journey on 12 Rajab 1087/ 20 September 1676) was made possible through the financial help of Zib al-Nisa, a daughter of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, for whom he had written a commentary on the Qur’an.  \n  \nThis manuscript belongs to a long-established tradition of guides to the Holy Places (see MSS 1038), although the illustrations here differ in that they combine the diagrammatic views normally found in such guides with vivid and colourful scenes of the pilgrims and their caravans. The illustrations are simple in their conception yet their attention to detail is acute. They provide a cogent picture of camp life of pilgrims in the late 17th century.  \n  \nThe illustrations:  \n  \nView of the port of Surat and the ships carrying pilgrims (folio 2b). Surat, on the Western coast of India, north of Bombay, was one of the main points of departure to Arabia. The view is oriented to the south.  \nThe pilgrims’ ships crossing the Sea of Oman (folio 3b). The two larger ships carry pilgrims; one, on the right, appears to be casting (or raising) anchor. The smaller vessels may be fishing boats.  \nThe mish‘ar al-haram and the ritual of collecting pebbles (folio 10a). The painting shows the pilgrims in the region of Muzdalifa, in a state of ihram (ritual purity), collecting pebbles.  \nThe pilgrims in the town of Mina, being shaved, making sacrifices and casting pebbles at the Devil (folio 10b). This day corresponds to ‘Id al-Adha on 10 dhu’l-Hijjah, the feast commemorating the Sacrifice of Abraham. By this stage, the pilgrims, who are in a full state of ihram indicated by their white garments, have already completed their initial circumambulation of the Ka‘bah (the welcome tawaf); the ritual of running between the hills of Safa and Marwa (sa‘iyy) recalling Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Isma‘il; the day of prayer at ‘Arafat – a most holy time when every pilgrim stands alone with God; and the gathering of pebbles at Muzdalifa in preparation for the stoning of the Devil at Mina. This recalls yet another chapter in the Abrahamic narrative in which Isma‘il stones the Devil seven times (the ritual is illustrated in the upper right-hand corner of the painting). After this a sacrifice is made. The pilgrims are released from most of the restrictions imposed by the state of ihram; men shave their heads and beards; women have their hair clipped. Pilgrims can now wear their normal clothes and leave for Mecca, where they perform another essential rite, a further circumambulation of the Ka‘bah known as the tawaf al-ifadah, which takes place on the same day.  \nThe birthplaces of the Prophet Muhammad; Fatimah; Abu Bak al-Siddiq; as well as the Madrasah of Sultan Sulayman, and a Bektashi lodge (folio 11b). These are shrines to visit in the vicinity of Mecca, which are not part of the hajj rituals.  \nPlan of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca with the Ka‘bah (folio 12a).  \nThe camp of North African caravan of pilgrims (folio 15a).  \nThe camp of Egyptian caravan of pilgrims (folio 15b).  \nThe camp of the Syrian caravan of pilgrims (folio 16a). Unlike the pilgrims from North Africa and Egypt, the Syrian pilgrims are richly dressed and carry swords and gold daggers. Ahmad Pasha, the Syrian Amir al-Hajj, is identified by a caption (top left).  \nThe camp of the desert Arabs and the people of Najd (folio 16b).  \nThe camp of the caravans of the Indian (top) and Iranian pilgrims (folio 17a).  \nOfficials, scribes and secretaries (folio 17b). This is a small illustration, which is not captioned.  \nSharif Barakat, hakim haramayn sharifayn (‘Governor of the two Holy Sanctuaries’), riding to meet the envoy of Sultan Mehmed \\[IV\\], the Emperor of Rum (folio 18a).  \n‘Abdi Pasha, the Amir al-Hajj of the Egyptian caravan, on his way from Mecca to Medina (folio 18b).  \nThe port of Mucha, in the Yemen (folio 21a). The illustration shows the pilgrims’ ships departing from the port as well as Sayyid Husayn, the Governor of Mucha, riding his horse (bottom right).  \nThe port of Jeddah (folio 22b). This view is very similar to that of Mucha (folio 21a) in that it combines views of the city and the pilgrims’ ships with one of the Governor of the city, Sunjuq.  \nMan attacked by a lion (folio 21b); Man saved from the jaws of a lion (folio 23a); A feast (folio 23b). The three small-scale paintings are illustrations to a parable about a very poor woman taking pity on some beggars passing by and feeding them; her act of generosity was rewarded when a stranger saved her son from being eaten by a lion. The feast is probably in celebration of the son’s safe return to his mother.  \nScript:  \n  \nPersian text copied in nasta‘liq; with 23 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Princess Zeb un-Nisa (AH 1047-1113 / AD 1638–1702)","dates":"*circa* 1677–80 AD","location":"London","dimensions":"23 folios, with 11 full-page and 9 half-page illustrations. 33 x 23.2cm (page); 27.4 x 14.7cm (text panels, and full-page illustrations)","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"The text states the dates of travel and compilation as AH 1087 / AD 1676–7.","provenance":"India, possibly Gujarat","bibliography":"Khan, Q.M., *The Pilgrim’s Companion: The Khalili Anis al-Hujjaj*, London: Kulturalis, 2025.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames and Hudson, 2010: cat. 332–41, pp. 284–7.  \n  \nYork Leach, L., *Paintings from India, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume VIII; London: The Nour Foundation, 1998: cat. 34, pp. 124-9.*","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","India","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Muhammad","Mukha","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Manuscript","Religion","ship","travel"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","modern leather binding"]},"ddbed777-56df-5f3a-ae0c-382332e03641":{"name":"Engineers repairing the Railway near Homs","description":"In a flat landscape, three British engineers are working on the right hand one of two railway tracks. On the left a group of four locals stand or sit and observe. There appears to be a biplane on the ground to the right, with a hill in the distance.","type":"Artwork","holder":"IWM","owner":"IWM","initial_owner":"IWM","dates":"18.03.1918","location":"London","dimensions":"Unframed height: 21,5 cm; unframed width: 34,2 cm","place_of_production":"Syria","method_for_datation":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","method_for_provenance":"All details are held in the War Artists Archive at IWM.","provenance":"Department of Information commission transferred to the Ministry of Information and then to the Imperial War Museum.","obtention":"Artist commission for the UK government's Department of Information, subsequently transferred to the Imperial War Museum.","bibliography":"*Shadows and Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey*, Soussi A., Scotland Street Press, 2022.  \n*Visions of War: Art of the Imperial War Museums*, IWM, 2023.  \n*The War Artists*, Harries M. and Harries S., Michael Joseph, 1983.","author":"Claire Brenard","keywords":["aircraft","landscape","Military engineering","military personnel","Transport"],"materials":["Watercolour and ink on paper"]},"deea46be-8061-564e-a1de-c2f20389f8a7":{"name":"*Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia)*","description":"The majority of Turkish painters in the 19th century were Ottoman officers who had studied abroad. Hüseyin Zekai Paşa was one of those painters who paints in the western style. In his first works, he followed the painting tradition of 19th century by including thin paint dough and light colours. He made changes in his painting techniques through the Galatasaray Exhibition and turned into an impressionist, his work dominated by thicker brush strokes. In his paintings he combined impressionist colour techniques and a totality of composition with dexterity. Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Osman Hamdi Bey and Hüseyin Zekai Paşa opened the way for other Turkish artists – and in particular impressionists – in Turkey.","type":"Painting","holder":"Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting and Sculpture Museum","dates":"1905–1906","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"df2d65a4-48bc-5ed0-b535-bf708ffef329":{"name":"Set of Two-Sided Mineia Icons","description":"The *mineia* icons record important dates in the calendar year of the Orthodox church. Feast days and saints are arranged by date and labeled. The icons are usually painted in miniature, and a typical day can commemorate up to ten feasts and saints. This two-sided *mineia* was once part of a set of 12 with each tablet featuring one month. The Museum of Russian Icons has ten icons from the original set.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1660","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 21cm, Width: 18.4cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Collection of the late artist Petros Sasaki, who purchased the tablets in Finland in the 1960s to early 1970s. Sold by Christie's Auction in June 2008 to a private collection, USA. Sold by Macdougall's Auction in 2009 to a private collection, USA.  \nPurchased by Gordon Lankton from Chelsea Auction (private sale) in 2014. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2021.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"dfd5b69e-9c27-52e5-93bf-9d6d1a4fd259":{"name":"Tekke panel","description":"A *tekke* (dervish lodge) plate with *celi sülüs* calligraphy in the shape of a bird made with black ink. It reads *\"Yâ Bâz el-eşheb Kuddise sırruhu Şey'en lȋ'l-lâh\"* (religious text, untranslatable). On the upper right corner there is a date and signature together with a bouquet of rose, tulip and rosebuds. The plate is framed in rose colour.","type":"Paper","holder":"Vehbi Koç Foundation Sadberk Hanim Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"e14b8a41-6006-512e-b29f-7b0b558fe602":{"name":"*Moses with the Tablets of the Law*","description":"According to the Biblical story (Book of Exodus), Moses, returning from Mount Sinai where God had given him the commandments carved on stone tablets, found the Israelites worshipping a golden calf made with the consent of Aaron from all of the available precious metal. Angered by the infidelity of his people, Moses smashed the tablets of the law.  \nThe painting shows the patriarch in all his violent disdain, screaming mouth contorted and hands gripping with ire the tablets he is about to smash. The expressive force of the scene involves the viewer in the dark drama, inducing him to hear the power of the scream against idolatry and the lack of faith in God. Moses' black clothes, almost mournful, highlight the luminosity of the bright red of his cloak. The influence of similar stylistic and chromatic solutions used by Caravaggio is obvious. The light, coming from the left, emphasises the expressive lines and withered skin of his arms and hands, while conversely stressing the vigorous strength inspired by faith, motifs influenced by Carracci.  \nCritics do not agree on the date of the painting, theories ranging from the first decade of the 17th century to 1624–25. Nevertheless it has been in the Borghese collection from at least 1657, as the artist was greatly admired by Cardinal Scipione. Reni painted another version of the same subject for the Barberini, dated around 1625.","short_description":"Reni can be placed mid-way between the classical, serene harmony of the Carracesque tradition and the dramatic vision of Caravaggio. The painter was held in very high esteem by Cardinal Scipione.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"c. 1624–25","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 173 cm; w: 134 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.110, p. 64.  \nPepper, D. S., *Guido Reni. L'opera completa*, Novara, 1988, p. 34.  \nHerrmann Fiore, K., in *Invisibilia. Rivedere i capolavori, vedere i progetti*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 1991, pp. 27–28.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bolognese painting","Caravaggio","Carracci","Christian themes","movement"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"e189b316-270d-52f6-bc71-843ad7287741":{"name":"Bookcover","short_description":"A pair of Qajar lacquered binding depicts Fath ʽAli Shah (r. 1797–1834) on the front cover, in his famous majestic pose clad in elaborate jewelled regalia and wearing his grander imperial crown, the Taj-e Kiyani, commissioned upon his accession in 1798. The back cover depicts a court scene, landscape, court and decoration. The king shown here is Mohammad Shah Qajar (r. 1834–1848), son of Fath ‘Ali Shah. Few minor differences in number of people, their cloth design and the objects, can also be noticed. The inner cover is decorated in a reversed composition. The main panel is adorned with a central scalloped medallion, two small pendants above and below and corner-pieces containing red and yellow rose bushes on green ground. The parts of the central field between the centre and corner-pieces are filled with gold painted flower and leaf motifs. The panel is framed with three borders; the middle border has a red ground with red and yellow rose bushes arranged between two borders with gold flower and leaf motifs on black ground. Although the patron of the cover has not been identified, the painting suggests that it could be the cover of a *muraqqa’* (album) or royal documents which was either commissioned by the Shah himself or by a prince or wealthy court official. In addition, although the binding is unsigned and undated, the quality of workmanship suggests that it was painted by one of the fine painters in the court ateliers. The spine has been removed and the gap has been closed.","type":"Bookbinding","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1300 / c. AD 1900","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"43.8 x 28.5cm","provenance":"Iran","bibliography":"Aqa-Oqlu, *Persian bookbindings of the fifteenth century*, USA: Ann Arbor University of Michigan Press, 1935.  \nAkimushkin, Oleg, Gray, Basil, *The arts of the book in Central Asia, 14th – 16th centuries*, London: Shambhala UNESCO, 1979.  \nSarre, Friedrich Paul Theodor, *Islamic bookbindings*, London: Kegan Paul, 1923.  \nScheper, Karin, *The technique of Islamic bookbinding methods, materials and regional varieties*, Leiden: Brill, 2015.","materials":["lacquer"]},"e1a252df-9eac-5352-962a-9d3fc2c41c8c":{"name":"Hulagu Enthroned","short_description":"Hulagu, the Ilkhanid ruler of Iran (r. 1256–1265) and an ancestor of the Mughal rulers of India, is shown seated cross-legged on a gold throne, the back of which encircles his head like a glowing halo. A man is seated in front of the throne and on the carpet before him are two books and an astrolabe, a scientific instrument used for computing various astronomical problems, such as telling time. This individual is thought to be the Persian theologian and astronomer Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274). The painting is probably the surviving half of a double-page frontispiece to a now-lost manuscript made in the imperial Mughal atelier, perhaps an historical or scientific text. The painting is the work of the artist Manohar.","type":"Single-page painting","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"AD 1550-1600","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"34.3cm x 23.3cm","provenance":"India","keywords":["astronomy","court","Il Khanid","Illustration","miniature painting","science"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"e1e13e80-ab15-5b9d-9fee-0d34b2a99f7f":{"name":"*Die Madonna des Basler Bürgermeisters Jakob Meyer zum Hasen (Madonna of the Burgomaster of Basle, Jakob Meyer zum Hasen)*","description":"Oriental carpets appeared on paintings from the early Renaissance period onward, first on works of Italian and later of Dutch provenance. In most cases they served to focus attention on saints and holy figures. In this case, these are the Madonna and Child, at whose feet is a valuable, probably Anatolian woven carpet. The donor-the Mayor Jacob Meyer zum Hasen-and his family also kneel on the carpet, so that they also share in the atmosphere of holiness. At the same time, the carpet can be interpreted as signifying the wealth and status of the prosperous, influential mayor. The purely geometric pattern on the carpet shown here is so characteristic that the term \"Holbein carpet\" has become established as an art historical term.","type":"Painting","holder":"Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden State Art Collections","dates":"c. 1635/1637","location":"Dresden","dimensions":"Height: 159cm, Width: 103cm","method_for_datation":"Research and documentary evidence","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence","provenance":"German","obtention":"This altarpiece came into the Dresden Gallery from the collection of Zuan Delfino in Venice in 1743, when it was purchased by Francesco Graf Algarotti as an original painting by Holbein. During the Dresden Holbein exhibition in 1871 and the subsequent \"Holbein Dispute\", it was established that this painting is a forgery after the original painting known as the Darmstadt Madonna (now held in the Würth Collection, Schwäbisch Hall). The Dresden Madonna was painted by Bartholomäus Sarburgh in the years 1635-37.","bibliography":"Bader, Lena, *Bild-Prozesse im 19. Jahrhundert: Der Holbein-Streit und die Ursprünge der Kunstgeschichte*, München and Paderborn: Fink, 2013.  \nBätschmann, Oskar, *Der Holbein-Streit: Eine Krise der Kunstgeschichte* , Berlin: Mann, 1996.  \nMaaz, Bernhard, *Hans Holbein d.J. Die Madonnen des Bürgermeisters Jacob Meyer zum Hasen in Dresden und Darmstadt: Wahrnehmung, Wahrheitsfindung und -verunklärung*, Künzelsau: Swiridoff-Verlag, 2014.  \nMarx, Harald (ed), *Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister* , 2 vols, Köln: Buchhandlung Walther König, 2005/07: vol. 1, p. 616, vol. 2, p. 469, gallery n. 1892.","author":"Bettina Forger","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["carpet","Madonna","painting"],"materials":["Oil on wood"]},"e1eb944d-493e-5695-ab8f-d78784aef708":{"name":"\"Elias and Khizr at the Fountain of Life\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"Alexander the Great figures prominently in Persian literature and histories, including in both the Shahnama and the Khamsa of Nizami. This scene, which occurs in both texts, depicts Alexander and the Prophet Khizr’s search for the Fountain of Life. Although they begin the journey together, they are separated and only Khizr is successful. Here, he appears with the Prophet Elias at the Fountain, while Alexander continues his search in the background.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ","dates":"Late 9th century AH / Late 15th century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Overall: Height: 22.9 cm Width: 9 cm; Painting: Height: 15.5 cm Width: 14.9 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Ackerman, P. \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art*. 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, no. 93, (1940).  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nDenny, W.r B. \"Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style.\" in *Muqarnas* vol. 1 (1983).  \n  \nDaniel, Elton L., ed. *Encyclopaedia Iranica*, vol. XVI, (2017).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451407","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e2bed9ed-caa1-5725-83f6-d3e744776900":{"name":"Suspended Together","description":"Manal Al Dowayan’s Suspended Together can be used to question the assumption that the existence of roads, routes, and transport systems automatically means freedom of movement. Created in 2011, the installation refers to a period when Saudi women needed permission from a male guardian in order to travel. The suspended white doves suggest flight, mobility, and freedom, yet their stillness reveals a condition of restriction. In this sense, the work is especially relevant for discussing travel and infrastructure from a gendered perspective: even when roads exist, not everyone has equal access to movement. The piece reminds viewers that mobility is not only a matter of physical routes, but also of law, social permission, gender, and power. For this reason, the work can be used to expand a discussion of travel in the region beyond railways and roads, toward the unequal social conditions that determine who is allowed to move.","type":"Installation","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"2011","location":"Doha","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/suspended-together-mat201384","keywords":["freedom of movement","Saudi Arabia","transport systems","women"],"materials":["Adhesive","Paper","Resin"]},"e2e87d5b-1f57-5af5-9864-f84516f62cdb":{"name":"The *Annunciation*","description":"The beginning of the second quarter of the 16th century marks the emergence of the representation of “Lotto” knotted carpets in Portuguese painting. These carpets, their name derived from the Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto, who represented them in his paintings, are characterised by their geometrical, angular aesthetics lined up in a repetitive scheme. The Lotto carpets of Turkish origin probably reached the high-end Portuguese market through the Venetian export trade.  \nThe presence of these carpets in Portuguese interiors is mostly evidenced through representations in paintings, in particular those of the court painter Gregório Lopes (active 1513‒† 1550). In this representation of the *Annunciation*, the Virgin Mary stands on a Turkish carpet with a yellow, meandering arabesque pattern on a red field and a pseudo-*kufic* border. It’s relevance in the painting is reinforced by the artist, for he captures the very moment when the Archangel, as if suspended in time, places one foot on the carpet, and thus enters the sacred domain of the Virgin Mother. As such, the carpet is used as a device in the painter’s masterful depiction to mark the passage from one space to another, as though through a gateway.  \nInterestingly, the opposing end of the same carpet is represented in another of Gregorio Lopes’s paintings, the *Presentation of the Head of Saint John the Baptist*, of around 1539 to 1541, a painting encompassing a ceremonial banquet in an aristocratic setting. In the *Annunciation* the artist takes the contrary approach, emptying the space of the splendour of the banquet, and replacing pageantry with a bare, peaceful interior befitting of the unfolding scene.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","dates":"1540‒1545","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 135.5cm, W: 113.5cm","method_for_datation":"Technical information provided by José Alberto Seabra de Carvalho","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis and material dating","provenance":"Portugal, unknown location","obtention":"Transferred, an original altarpiece-painting from the church of the Monastery of Santos-o-Novo, Lisbon, Portugal, in 1911","bibliography":"Hallett, Jessica and Pereira, Teresa Pacheco, *The Oriental Carpet in Portugal: Carpets and paintings, 15th‒18th centuries*, Lisbon: MNAA, 2007.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Ana Kol","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Annunciation","Gregório Lopes","Lotto carpet","painting","Portugal"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"e38d66f4-10f9-566e-84d8-1278b05a6847":{"name":"*The Three Ages of Woman*","alternate_name":"*Le tre età della donna*","description":"*The Three Ages of Woman* is one of the few works by Gustav Klimt, the main artist of the Vienna Secession movement, in Italy. The painting was exhibited in 1911 at the International Exhibition of Fine Arts in Rome inside the Austrian Pavilion built by the architect Josef Hoffman (1870-1956). An entire room was dedicated to Klimt (*The Three Ages of Woman*, *The Kiss*, *The Sisters* and several portraits). On this occasion the painting of *The Three Ages of Woman* won a prize and was subsequently bought by the Italian State along with other 51 paintings and seven sculptures in order to be displayed inside the newborn National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. The canvas, painted in the artist’s maturity, shows an old woman in profile with her body carrying the signs caused by the passing of time. The young woman and mother next to her and frontally depicted, holds her sleeping daughter. The central theme of the canvas is the three steps of woman’s life marked by childhood, maturity and old age. The outstanding “verism”, or “truth” of the figures is in sharp contrast to the decorative background that, with its gold and geometric decorations, is reminiscent of the Byzantine mosaics the artist saw during his voyages to Ravenna in 1903. The use of metals, glaze, coloured glass, and gold show the vogue of orientalism that spread among the artists who wanted to free themselves from western art conventions.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1905","location":"Rome","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"e39d2fbb-2774-52a9-868e-e26f46c215f7":{"name":"*Preparing Medicine from Honey*, folio from a dispersed manuscript of an Arabic translation of the *Materia Medica* of Dioscorides","short_description":"This scene from a translation of *De Materia Medica* by Dioscorides is typical of the Baghdad School of illustration, which employed bold colors and symmetrical compositions to depict urban life. The use of an architectural structure to divide the painting into six sections is typical of the period, as is the fact that the oatmeal-coloured paper remains visible. This folio, which comes from volume 5, chapter 9 of the work, depicts a pharmacist preparing a honey‑based medicine in a cauldron while an assistant upstairs distributes it into jars.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 31.4cm, W: 22.9cm","provenance":"Possibly Baghdad, Iraq or Northern Jazira","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: 'Abdullah ibn al-Fadl  \nFormer owner: F. R. Martin, Stockholm (by 1910–at least 1912)  \nFormer owner: V. Everit Macy, New York (by 1922–at least 1927)  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (until d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art. The Iranian Institute, New York*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: 189, no. case 72F.  \nAnet, Claude, \"Exhibition of Persian Miniatures at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris\", *Burlington Magazine*, 22 (1912): 15–16, ill. pl. I, A (b/w).  \nBuchthal, Hugo, Kurz, Otto and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Supplementary Notes to K. Holter's checklist of Islamic Ill. Mss. before 1350.\" Ars Islamica vol. 7 (1940): 151–52, no. 27.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, V. (1942): 10, 15, 19–39, 20, no. 9, ill. fig. 12, 13, 17. Leaves from MS now in Top Kapu Saray, Istanbul, which has colophon giving name of copyist and date Rajab AH 621. No. 9, fig. 12 illustrates 56.20; no. 10, fig. 13 illustrates 57.51.21; no. 15, fig. 17 illustrates 13.152.6.  \nCanby, Sheila R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \nCanby, Sheila R., Beyazit, Deniz and Rugiadi, Martina, *Court and Cosmos. The Great Age of the Seljuqs*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016: 178–79, no. 107a, ill. 178 (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"A loan of Near Eastern Miniature Paintings\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 22 (1927): 127.  \nDimand, Maurice S. (ed), \"Dated Specimens of Mohammedan Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art\", *MMA Studies 1* 2 (1929): 208.  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 229, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina, and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 87, 94, no. 55, ill. 94 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 100–01, ill. pl. 18 (colour).  \nGluck, Heinrich and Diez, Ernst, *Die Kunst des Islam. Propylaen Kunstgeschichte, Vol. 5*, Berlin: Propylaen-Verlag, 1925: 95, 502, ill. (b/w).  \nKirketerp-Moller, Hertha, *Det Islamiske Bogmaleri*, Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag, 1974: 5, ill. fig. 6.  \nKühnel, Ernst, *Miniaturmalerei im Islamischen Orient*, Berlin: Bruno Cassirer Verlag, 1922: ill. pl. 5.  \nKurz, Otto, \"Folding chairs and Koran stands\", in Richard Ettinghausen (ed), *Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972: 302, ill. fig. 5  \nMartin, F. R., *The Miniature Painting and Painters of Persia, India and Turkey from the 8th to the 18th century. Vol. 1*, London: Bernard Quaritch, 1912: no. volume 2, 7, ill. pl. 5b.  \nRicci, Seymour, *Catalogue d'une Collection de Miniatures Gothiques et Persanes appartenant à Léonce Rosenberg*, Paris: Montassier et Odend'hal, 1913: 36–37, ill. pl. XVIII.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, \"Illustrated Books May be Hazardous to your Health\", *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2005): 30–31, ill. fig. 10 (b/w).  \nSarre, Friedrich and Martin, F. R., *Die Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst in Munchen 1910. Die Stoffe, die Waffen, Holz und Elfenbein*, Munich: F. Bruckmann A.-G., 1912: no. 583, vol. 1, ill. pl. 5b.  \nStchoukine, Ivan, *La Peinture Iranienne sous les derniers 'Abbasides et les Il-Khans*, Bruges: Imprimerie Sainte Catharine, 1936 : no. II.  \nVever, Marteau, *Miniatures Persanes. Volumes 1-2*, Paris: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1913: ill. pl. 1 XXXVIII. Illustrated another leaf from this manuscript, dated here 1222, entitled \"Le chien enrage\", in Mutiaux collection (same leaf illustration in Anet reference), pl. XXXVIII (ill. another leaf, in Sambon collection (same leaf illustrated in Rosenberg collecti.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 34–35, ill. fig. 22 (colour).  \nKunsthaus Zürich (ed), *Kunstschätze aus Iran von der prähistorischen bis zur islamischen Zeit. 27. Mai bis 5. August 1962*, Zürich: Kunsthaus Zürich, 1962: no. 556, ill. pl. 82.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Abbasid","Arab literature","Arabic inscription","Baghdad","gold","ink","Iraq","medical plant","medicine","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","treatise"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e3b0645a-dca5-537b-86d7-5a168c647274":{"name":"Mineia, February","description":"The *mineia* icons record important dates in the calendar year of the Orthodox church. Feast days and saints are arranged by date and labeled. The icons are usually painted in miniature, and a typical day can commemorate up to ten feasts and saints. This February icon was once part of a set of 12 *mineia*, with each panel featuring one month in the church calendar.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1569","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 57.2cm, Width: 44.5cm, Depth: 5cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from the Temple Gallery, London, in 2007. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","saints"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"e3bca328-205b-530c-8cb6-99cd21d8c8dd":{"name":"*Two Musician Girls*","description":"As opposed to the Western Orientalists who emphasize sexuality in their female figures, in Osman Hamdi’s paintings the female figures are often conscious of the period of Westernization in the Ottoman Empire, as well as their individual identities and talents, and are thus open to learning and self-development. In a number of Osman Hamdi’s works, the Ottoman woman is portrayed playing an instrument or reading and she always appears fully clothed. In this painting, which incorporates architectural elements of the Bursa Green Mosque, apart from musical instruments like the *tambur* (lute) and the tambourine, Ottoman decorative elements such as rugs, woodwork, stone carving, and tiles complement the artist’s unique approach to the female identity.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Second half of the 19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"e545d6d3-eec2-54ad-b900-150487ea7465":{"name":"*Judith in the Tent of Holofernes*","description":"The work may have been acquired by Cardinal Scipione Borghese during the years that the French artist was in Rome (1623–1634), but it is not documented in the collection until 1650. The delicate medium shows a night scene illuminated by the light of candelabra. The Biblical heroine is shown kneeling in the act of asking God for the strength she needs for the bloody murder she is about to commit, while the unknowing Holofernes sleeps in a luxurious canopy bed decorated with a heavy silk damask that reflects the light of the flame.  \nAccording to the apocryphal texts of the Old Testament, the beautiful Judith, a widow living in the town of Bethulia, which was besieged by the Assyrians, successfully wooed General Holofernes, who organised a banquet in her honour to seduce her. He falls into a drunken sleep in his tent, allowing the implacable maiden to decapitate the oppressor of the Israelites. On the dressed table lies the warrior's elegant helmet, while his shield stands on the floor. Three *putti* are trying to draw the sword from its sheath, evidently to give it to Judith. The inspired pose of the protagonist relates to the elegance of the setting, the fine detailing and the playful tone of the *putti*, worthy of following a Venus. The style reveals the artist's knowledge of classical Bolognese painting, which was very common in Rome in the early decades of the 17th century and was associated with Elsheimer's study of light.  \nThe artist, who is known to have completed another version of the same subject (private collection) is a specialist in painting on stone (slate and black marble), which allowed him to achieve very refined colours and an almost miniaturist rendering of detail, combined with the use of the medium as a natural base for the candlelight effect, which was ubiquitous at the beginning of the 17th century.","short_description":"This is an unusual representation of an iconographic theme. The gestural expressiveness of the protagonist and the phenomenal lighting reflect the divine assistance given to Judith. Through faith she finds the strength to accomplish the bloody act of decapitating Holofernes.  \nThe French artist painted this small, precious piece on slate during his stay in Rome from 1625 to 1634, during which time he mixed with the entourage of Cardinal Scipione Borghese.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"1623–1634","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 30 cm; w: 36 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.220, p. 122.  \nChomer, G., Laveissière S., in *Jacques Stella (1596–1657)*, exhibition catalogue (Lyon, Toulouse), Paris, 2006, cat. 43, pp. 97–98.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bolognese influence","Christian themes","painting on stone","slate","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on slate"]},"e5dcb5be-a7f2-5f24-b1e8-fae35ee4b7b5":{"name":"*Foundations of Haram al-Sharif*","description":"Foundations of the South-Eastern corner of the Haram es-Sharif, as revealed for the first time by Charles Warren. This tunnel was some 85 feet below ground. Warren’s team were experienced mining engineers, and were assisted, as shown in several of this sequence of watercolours by William ‘Crimea’ Simpson, sent to record the expedition for the Illustrated London News, by extremely courageous local Jerusalem residents.","type":"Sketch","holder":"The Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","dates":"1872","location":"London","provenance":"?"},"e76ff42a-8d69-50d8-ac1f-2bbd53a08547":{"name":"Bijan takes the reins of Gushtaham’s horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 × 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","human","human-figure","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"e77d0bf1-58c8-5972-8f5a-b708fbd506b7":{"name":"The Mother of God Umilenie","description":"The *Umilenie* (tenderness) Mother of God icons display touching images that depict the Virgin caressing her Child. The distinctive feature of this icon type is that the Christ Child has his face pressed against her cheek and one arm around her neck. Finely executed and balanced in line, color and composition, this icon, the earliest in the Museum of Russian Icons collection, is a particularly beautiful example of this motif.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1425","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 22.9cm, Width: 19.1cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from a private collection in 2000. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"e781ed99-0334-5a17-84a6-d65ff343a949":{"name":"*Allegory of Sight* (Venus and Cupid in a Picture Gallery)","description":"From a series of paintings called the “The Five Senses”, this painting by Jan Brueghel the Younger is known as *The Allegory of Sight*. It displays a virtual treasure trove of Paintings, Sculpture, Scientific tools and more. At the center of the piece is Venus examining herself in a handheld mirror. A beautiful Turkish Carpet is draped over the table to the left of Venus. The fact that such a carpet is displayed among such a treasure trove of expensive and exquisite objects shows its importance.  \nThis painting shows an imaginary collection of art, scientific instruments, and curiosities of nature. It belongs to a popular genre of pictures developed by Antwerp artists in the 1600s that portray the cabinets, or rooms, collectors filled with art and wonders. The inclusion of Venus examining herself in a mirror reveals that this scene also doubles as an allegory of sight, and was part of a series of works depicting the five senses.  \nThough an allegory, the scene contains artwork and objects based on real examples, including paintings by famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and Jan Brueghel’s father, Jan Brueghel the Elder. The ancient and modern sculptures as well as the array of vessels, jewels, coins, measuring instruments, and shells strewn around the room can be matched with surviving items.  \nThe remarkable works depicted by Jan the Younger illustrate the types of objects the well to do collected in the 1600s to demonstrate their status and knowledge. Within the space around you are works of art and nature that represent the varied categories of collecting popular at this time.","type":"Painting","holder":"Philadelphia Museum of Art","dates":"c. 1660","location":"Philadelphia, Pennsylvania","dimensions":"58.1 x 89.7cm (22 7/8 x 35 5/16 inches)","method_for_datation":"Lower right: J Breugel","provenance":"Southern Netherlands (modern Belgium), Europe","obtention":"John G. Johnson Collection, 1917","bibliography":"D'Harnoncourt , Anne, *Paintings from Europe and the Americas in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: A Concise Catalogue*, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994.  \nErtz, Klaus, *Jan Breughel, der Jüngere (1601-1968) die Gemälde mit kritischem Œuvrekatalog. Flämische Maler im Umkreis der grossen Meister, Band. 1*, Freren: Luca,1984.","author":"Quintin Blumka","copy_editor":"Xena Wang","keywords":["Allegory","Breugal","painting"],"materials":["Oil on copper"]},"e7be577c-7197-59de-94eb-bd3d5d7cdba0":{"name":"Portrait of emperor Shah Jahan, his three sons, and Asaf Khan","short_description":"In this royal family portrait, Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628–58), sitting in haloed profile upon a gold-footed throne under a high white canopy, accepts a jewelled gift from his father-in-law, Asaf Khan. At his right are his three eldest sons—Dara Shikoh (1615–59), Shah Shija (1616–59), and the ill-fated Awrangzeb (r. 1618–1707), whose death effectively marked the end of the great Mughal Empire. All figures are resplendent in turbans decorated with jewels, pearl necklaces, different types of daggers (*khilanum*, *katar*, and *kard*), lavishly embroidered sashes, and gilded swords. An illuminated carpet lies underfoot.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1628-40","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.5 x 24.3cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London / Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.","keywords":["family-tree","figures","folio","human-figures","illuminated","lanscape","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e80dfa93-78f5-57ec-a258-0a31de9fef63":{"name":"*The daughter of the English ambassador riding in a palanquin*","description":"Until he was appointed as the court painter in 1896, Zonaro was predominantly commissioned by European embassies in Istanbul. In his memoirs, the artist reveals that British Ambassador Sir Philip William Currie (1894-96), who was one of Zonaro’s clients, commissioned a painting depicting his stepdaughter on the palanquin on her way to the church to marry a diplomat. Sir Currie also requested the view of the Golden Horn – as seen from the garden of the embassy – to be included in the background of the painting. The palanquin carriers, two embassy officials smartly dressed in their uniforms and the young woman sitting on the palanquin in her bridal veil, posed for the artist for several days.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Late 19th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"e89fcc11-c4b2-5e7a-bd67-d16f31276971":{"name":"*The Holy Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina*","short_description":"The two detached pages most probably come from a copy of al-Jazuli’s *Dala’il al-khayrat* (full title, *Dala’il al-khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabi al-mukhtar*).  \nOne of the most popular works of prayer in the Islamic world, it was composed by a native of Sus, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli (d. 1645). The work consists of prayers for the Prophet, together with his epithets, and a description of his tomb.  \nDigressing somewhat from the text, Ottoman and Indian copies of the work almost always included depictions of the Meccan sanctuary besides that in Medina. The depictions in Indian copies were often diagrammatic in nature, in contrast to the more realistic, three-dimentional representations in Ottoman copies.","type":"Painting; watercolour painting; depictions of the holy sanctuaries; Mecca; Medina; manuscript; manuscript illustration","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"18th – early 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"15.2 x 10.5cm (each page)","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"India","bibliography":"“al-Djazuli”, in Bosworth, C.E., van Donzel, E.J., Pearson, H. (eds), *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, vol. 2 (C-G), Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1983: 527–8.  \nPorter, V., *The Art of Hajj*, London: British Museum, 2012: 82–3, fig.50.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["al-Jazuli","Dala’il al-khayrat","Hijaz","Holy place","Ka‘ba","manuscript","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion"],"materials":["gold and watercolours on paper","Ink"]},"e8e143d1-9e28-5823-a77b-680f924a656e":{"name":"*Head*","description":"This painting by Guilherme Santa-Rita is one of the first examples of strong cubist influence in Portugal. It was made at a time of great changes in the country, following the fall of the monarchy and the transition to the Republic.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum","dates":"1910","location":"Lisbon","author":"DGPC"},"e8e696de-51ce-5fc5-a006-778ed003c783":{"name":"*Saint Francis Xavier Recommending the Argonauts to the Virgin*","description":"This small altarpiece was originally commissioned by the Jesuits for the chapel of the Academy of the Argonauts. The sumptuous ship in the background is an allusion to this association of the pupils of the Jesuit College.  \nThe Virgin crowned with stars holds the child and leans towards the Jesuit Francis Xavier, patron saint of travellers. He points to the ship and designates her the “Argonauts”, members of the Academy of the same name and promising pupils of the Collegio dei Nobili. This is the school held by the Jesuits in Bologna, attended by the sons of the aristocracy in the eighteenth-century. Creti is an ideal follower and pupil of Guido Reni and his school. He looks at the perfection and beauty attained by the master. The colours, with their pre-eminence of blues and greys in the background are an homage to the great Bolognese predecessor.","short_description":"The altarpiece shows Saint Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary interceding with the Virgin towards the sailors, personified by the members of the Academy of the Argonauts, in whose chapel the painting was hanging. Donato Creti, a follower of the school of Guido Reni, is looking for refined elegance and formal perfection.","type":"Painting","holder":"Collezioni Comunali d'Arte","initial_owner":"Jesuit fathers","dates":"c. 1710","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"213 x 176 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","method_for_datation":"Possibly the first painting of Creti for a church; it can be dated around 1710 based on stylistic reasons.","provenance":"Bologna","obtention":"Gianpietro Zanotti, in his *Storia dell'Accademia Clementina di Bologna* (1739, p. 108), writes that the altarpiece was painted for the Academy of the Argonauts, in the Collegio dei Nobili which was held by the Jesuits. After the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, the Barnabites ruled the college. With the unification of Italy, some of the property of the college passed to the Municipality of Bologna. In the 1930’s the altarpiece was in a municipal deposit and was later moved to the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte.","bibliography":"Roli, R. *Donato Creti*, Milan, 1967,  pp. 29-30.  \nRoli, R. in *L'arte del Settecento emiliano. La pittura. L'Accademia Clementina* (exhibition catalogue) (ed. A. Emiliani), Bologna, 1979,  p. 61,  fig. 104.  \nBernardini, C. in *Collezioni Comunali d'arte. L'appartamento del Legato in Palazzo d'Accursio*, Bologna, 1989, p. 23, fig. 9.  \nRoli, R. \"La pittura in Emilia Romagna nella prima metà del Settecento\",  *La pittura in Italia. Il Settecento*, Milan, 1990, pp. 252-275.  \n*Donato Creti.* *Melancholy and perfection* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. C. Bernardini and  E. Riccòmini), Milan, 1998.","workshop":"Late baroque","author":"Elisabetta Berselli","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","keywords":["academy","Altarpiece","devotion","Donato Creti","education","eighteenth century painting Bologna","figural decoration","Guido Reni","Jesuit","Madonna with child","religious orders","religious schools","Religious/liturgical painting"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"e99f19c5-2155-5385-857a-049be3d918d9":{"name":"\"Man's Fate or the Man Taking Refuge in a Well Inhabited by a Dragon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453076","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"e9cd5ed9-9868-52d2-b520-c5f830442609":{"name":"The last of the Abbasid Caliphs, Mustaʿsim (r. 1242–58)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM40 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio is one of a group of folios that were originally prepared under Rashid al-Din’s own supervision and later incorporated into the Timurid manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.4 x 30.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"e9d20fa0-c214-51e8-a022-980c7d31384c":{"name":"Tekke panel","description":"*Hüsn-i Hat* is a type of calligraphy. Turks probably started to get interested in calligraphy after their arrival to Anatolia. The brightest period was during the Ottoman era. Calligraphy developed well beyond its functional role; it almost played a similar role to the paintings in Western art in terms of the level of its aesthetics. The script *\"Ya Hazreti Şeyh Sultan Yusuf Sümbül Sinan Kaddes Allahu sırrahu\"* (religious text, untranslatable) is written on a black background with *Zerendud* (gilded) calligraphy and designed as the *sikke* (tall felt hat) of the Sünbüli order. It stands over a small table in Rococo style and there are hyacinth flowers on either corner of the upper part. The sides of the plate are surrounded by two borders that are Rococo in design.","type":"Paper","holder":"Vehbi Koç Foundation Sadberk Hanim Museum","dates":"Hegira 1311 / AD 1893","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"ea56c676-8f35-5489-88dc-00a76f28ef9d":{"name":"*Turkish ladies buying jewellery*","description":"This watercolour, completed in 1873, shows three elegantly dressed society ladies, their faces concealed by a light veil, visiting the shop of a jeweller, his wares displayed in a small multi-tiered glass case placed on the low platform in front. While one of the ladies is seated on a carpet at the entrance to the shop to examine a pearl necklace that the old, bespectacled proprietor has offered her, her two companions wait outside and shield her to some extent from curious eyes. Vittorio Amadeo, 5th Count Preziosi (1816-1882) was an artist of Maltese origin, who left for the Middle East in the early 1840s. He settled in Istanbul as a diplomatic translator and artist, specialising in touristic scenes, vistas and types","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"1873","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"eaf5a4c2-fc34-59cc-85e1-5bfdbe4b17c3":{"name":"*Falcon chase*","alternate_name":"Watercolour sketch for the great painting of the 1863 Salon, for Napoléon III's collection; Sketch for the painting at the Louvre","description":"Fromentin's inspiration for this painting came from the journey he made in 1853 from Médéa to Laghouat, crossing the great expanses of the halfa grass and wormwood deserts. On his way, he came across a spring where grey vultures were drinking.","type":"Drawing; painting; watercolour","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"1863","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"eba85bbe-07ea-54e1-b12e-dd3f891151d0":{"name":"*Woman taking an afternoon nap*","description":"Women in Orientalist art were frequently idealised: the theme of the naked, languishing concubine dominated European art throughout the 19th century. Alfred Chataud's work, however, seems to approach the theme with less artificiality, and indeed this watercolour shows a great degree of authenticity in depicting a scene from Algerian women's daily lives in the late 19th century. The painting even seems to resemble Gustave Courbet's *Demoiselles au bords de la Seine*.","type":"Drawing","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"c. 1870","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"ec7fd0d9-9cc8-500f-9c45-55773ae4604c":{"name":"*The Tortoise Trainer*","description":"Rather than depicting the “other” as a number of foreign painters did, Osman Hamdi portrayed his own culture and propounded his own cultural perceptions. The architectural decor suggests that the scene takes place in one of the upper-story chambers of the Bursa Green Mosque. Dressed as a dervish and slightly bent over, a man is examining in a contemplative fashion the tortoises roaming the floor. He sports an *araqiyya*, a flattish skull cap commonly worn by dervishes with a *destar*, or sash wrapped around it. He wears a belted, long red robe the borders of which are embroidered; his feet are clad in *çedik*, or slippers for indoor wear, made of yellow *sahtiyan*, Moroccan (goatskin) leather. He holds a ney in one of the hands he has clasped behind; a *nakkare* or a small kettledrum hangs down from his back.","type":"Painting","holder":"Pera Museum","dates":"Early 20th century","location":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"ed13e6c9-1b55-5025-a832-f8d710bb6ff1":{"name":"The Mother of God Smolenskaya with Oklad","description":"This is a *Hodegetria* (Greek for “one who shows the way”) Mother of God icon, recognizable by the solemn expression of the Mother of God and the frontal position of the Christ Child delivering a blessing. The Christ Child sits on his Mother’s left knee and holds a tightly rolled scroll. The original icon was brought from Byzantium in the 12th century and kept in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Smolensk. In the 15th century, the icon was transferred to Moscow before being returned to Smolensk.  \nThis icon has four additional figures, two on each border: a guardian angel and Venerable Basil the Confessor on the left, and Saint John the Baptist and Saint Anne the Prophet on the right. The *oklad* (covering) is solid silver under mercury gilding with no apparent hallmark. The *oklad* has a large nimbus containing sculpted angels with openings for their faces and hands, as well as many gems and a raised floral and fruit design. An inscription on the bottom border reads as follows:  \n  \nAt the Alenskiy-Skete in the area of Kerzhenets, the Schemamonk Filaret the icon painter, had painted this icon for the Schemamonk Iosif. At the year 7250 \\[1740\\] this icon was given to the treasury of the Schemanun Irinarkha. The Abbess, the nun Anafoliya donated this icon in the year 7376 \\[1868\\], at the third day of February to the Archbishop Antonij of Moscow and Vladimir.","type":"Icon","holder":"Museum of Russian Icons","dates":"About 1700","location":"Clinton, Massachusetts","dimensions":"Height: 56.5cm, Width: 48cm, Depth: 4cm","provenance":"Russia","obtention":"Purchased by Gordon Lankton from Ikonen Galerie, Germany, in 2011. Gifted to the Museum of Russian Icons by Gordon Lankton in 2013.","copy_editor":"Adrienne Staudohar","keywords":["Religious iconography","Virgin Mary and Child"],"materials":["Egg tempera on wood"]},"ed6f29d0-e940-51f2-b1c8-d10b8385933e":{"name":"*St. Sebastian Tended by Pious Women*","description":"The painting is first documented in the Borghese collection in 1650 although it is possible Cardinal Scipione acquired it directly during the artist's short stay in Rome (1624–1625) shortly before his early death on his return home.  \nThe painting shows a subject particularly common in the early 12th century: a pious women removing the arrows that martyred St. Sebastian and tending his wounds. According to a hagiographic account, Sebastian, an officer in Emperor Diocletian's Praetorian Guard who had converted to Christianity, was executed by archers who left him for dead. Tended by Saint Irene and her assistant, he returned to the Emperor with a new profession of faith, and was beaten to death with a club and his body left in the Cloaca Maxima.  \nThe cult of this saint reached its height thanks to the writings of Cesare Baronio in the late 16th century, and his iconography included elements similar to that of Christ. In 1607, Scipione Borghese began the restoration of the old Paleo-Christian Basilica of St. Sebastian outside the town walls on the Via Appia as part of a building policy promoted by the Counter-Reformation that encouraged a revival of the cult of martyrdom. He entrusted the commission to Flaminio Ponzio, who was also the architect for the Villa Borghese.  \nThe painting shows sentimentality in the face of the saint that inspires compassion in the viewer. The pose of the body is inspired by statues, and the twisting motion resembles one of the most well known ancient sculptures in Rome at that time, the *Lacoonte*.  \nRustici handled this subject on several occasions. In his skilful modulation of light on the body of the martyr he demonstrates his knowledge of the innovations of Caravaggesque painting, although he did not adhere to them completely, accentuating the suggestion of the hagiographic account with the expressiveness of Bolognese painting.","short_description":"St. Sebastian’s iconography is often associated with that of Christ. At the beginning of the 17th century the martyr is frequently represented at the moment he is found by the noblewoman, Irene, who takes care of him, in this way arousing the spectator’s feelings of compassion.  \nThe martyr is said to be buried in the early Christian basilica of St. Sebastian on the Via Appia, which was restored by Cardinal Scipione Borghese.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","initial_owner":"Scipione Borghese (?)","dates":"c. 1625","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 137 cm; w: 219 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, II, Rome, 1959, n.72, p. 51.  \nFumagalli, E., “Pittori senesi del Seicento e committenza medicea: nuove date per Francesco Rustici”, in *Paragone*, 41, 1990, 479/481, pp. 69–82.  \nGranata, B., in *Siena e Roma: Raffaello, Caravaggio e i protagonisti di un legame antico*, exhibition catalogue, Siena, 2005, pp. 378–379.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["anatomy","ancient art","Christian themes","Classical model","Counter-Reformation","cult of martyrdom","movement"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"edea7f90-3f66-5675-adbf-cd4fe3995f84":{"name":"Painting, *Diplomatic visit to England*","description":"A painting depicting the presentation of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-Sadiq al-Rifi, Ambassador to Mulay Sultan ‘Abd al-‘Aziz of Morocco, at the accession of King Edward VII in 1901 that also demonstrates the good relations between Morocco and Great Britain at this time.","type":"Painting","holder":"Royal archives","dates":"1901","location":"Rabat"},"eee2b270-70d5-58ca-a544-89ca4bbc9d54":{"name":"*Armenian Girl*","description":"*Armenian Girl* by Frederick Lewis, and important orientalist painter and etcher.","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1841","location":"London","provenance":"?"},"efcc7ec3-36f8-59b0-a853-5e760fd7f0b1":{"name":"An obituary listing eight victims of the Nizari Ismaʿili assassins","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio comes from one of the most heavily illustrated sections of the manuscript, a section that also helps reveal a secret about the work’s origins: Rashid al-Din was probably not its original author.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42 x 32.4cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"f03672a7-5a8f-5216-8d53-07817c3aa415":{"name":"*The Prayer in the Desert*","alternate_name":"*La preghiera nel deserto*","description":"Stefano Ussi lived between Florence and Rome and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence before enrolling as a volunteer in the first Italian War of Independence, during which he was taken prisoner by the Austrian troops. He developed a model of history painting characterised by a quick application of layers (almost a rough draft) and by a sharp chiaroscuro. In 1875, along with the painter Cesare Biseo, and Edmondo De Amicis, he accompanied an Italian diplomatic delegation to Morocco. At the opening of the Suez Canal the artist went to Egypt and created his first version of *The Prayer in the Desert* which is exhibited at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. From that moment on, Ussi made both history and oriental-themed paintings.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1876","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"f03b716a-a1e0-58f0-b452-2c2a089e34f2":{"name":"Members of Court of Sultan Selim II Mounted as an Album Leaf","short_description":"From the late sixteenth century until the formation of the Republic of Turkey in 1922, the Ottoman sultans maintained a strong tradition of imperial portraiture. Influenced by European oil painting and Persian miniatures, Ottoman portraits provide important information about court ceremonies, changing fashions, and members of the court. The right side of a double-page composition, this painting was created as a pendant to a portrait of Selim II (r. Hegira 974-982/1566-1574) on the left, now in the collection of the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. The musicians, servants, and courtiers, who are identified by their inscriptions, face left, toward the sultan, in a show of deference to their ruler. Taken together the pair of paintings depict a *majlis* scene reflecting the pleasure-oriented atmosphere of Selim’s court. It is possible that the figure of the court jester at far right is a self-portrait of the artist.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"AH c. 968-969 / AD c. 1561-1562","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"44.6 x 31cm","method_for_datation":"Less formal than official Ottoman royal depictions, this painting (and its pendant) was likely made prior to Selim’s ascension to the throne in 1566 and was probably produced during his time as a prince governing Kütahya. Several of the figures depicted with captions can be further identified as boon companions of Selim II, one of whom, Turak Çelabi, died in 1561-62, suggesting a terminus ante quem for the work.","method_for_provenance":"It is signed “Nigari, slave of Sultan Selim Khan.” Nigari was the pseudonym used by the famed Turkish navigator Haydar Reis, who was also well-known as a portrait painting under Sultan Suleyman and his son and successor Selim II.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Collection of Major R. Hawkins (dates unknown), until unknown date (sale, Sotheby’s, London, May 3, 1977, lot 3, sold to); Edwin Binney, 3rd (1866-1934), collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1985 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.","bibliography":"Denny, Walter B., *Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edward Binney, 3rd*, Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1979: 22, cat. 11.  \nFetvaci, Emine, *Picturing History at the Ottoman Court*, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2013: 42.  \nKangal, Selmin (ed), *The Sultan's Portrait: Picturing the House of Osman*, Istanbul: Türkiye Is Bankasi, 2000: 227.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 218-219, cat. no. 112.  \nNecipoglu, Gulru, *The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire*, London: Reaktion Books, 2005: 56.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["court life","gold","ink","inscription","manuscript","Ottoman","painting","Portrait","watercolour"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"f0e2d598-8e69-5768-bd25-d9db967e1292":{"name":"Painting Entitled ‘al-Rihlah al-Hijaziyyah/ Sacred Pilgrimage Journey’","description":"According to a plaque below the images, the painting depicts the pilgrimage of ‘Abbas Hilmi II, the Khedive of Egypt, which he performed in 1909. His portrait is on the left; on the right is that of Mehmed V Rashad, the contemporary Ottoman sultan. To the left and right of the Ka‘bah, which occupies the centre of the painting, are depictions of the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Many of the remaining images are based on photographs of the hajj published in the July 1953 issue of National Geographic.","type":"Painting","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","owner":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"1953","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 181 cm; Width;278 cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://khalilicollections.org/collections/hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/khalili-collection-hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage-painting-entitled-al-rihlah-al-hijaziyyah-sacred-pilgrimage-journey-mss1190/","keywords":["Egypt","hajj","Mecca","Ottoman","pilgrimage"],"materials":["Oil on canvas","some titles in découpage"]},"f1bd5519-89c6-5066-9f1f-c6679831ca28":{"name":"*Glorification of Reason*","alternate_name":"*Apotheosis of Reason*","description":"The layout indicates that the picture was a template for a ceiling painting. Several figures with their attributes personify the reigning Habsburgs and an allegorical personification of Austria. They are approached by figures from ancient mythology led by Reason. The figures are placed on bizarre formations of a mist-like substance. Opposite Austria are Jupiter and Juno. Hercules with a lion personifies the virtue of an active life. Mars, god of war, next to him, lays down his weapon in a submission to Reason, and is holding an olive branch – symbol of peace – giving his blessings to Moravia. The Moravian emblem, an eagle on a checkerboard field, is depicted on a flag. Above Mars hovers Fame (Glory).  \nThe symbolism is not limited to the iconographic level. Light is a major content-shaping element in the picture: it radiates from within and represents an attribute of Wisdom, embodiment of Reason and Thought. Light is delivered by the god Apollo and a spirit carrying a flame, symbol of enlightenment. Antiquity is presented as the Golden Age of mankind and the heyday of philosophy; if light embodied the truth during the Baroque period it was associated with reason in antiquity.  \nThe apotheosis of the “enlightened reign” of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty was a unifying subject of the art of “pragmatic sanction”. The origin of the sketch from the property of Counts Mitrovský, suggests that it could be a *modello* for the Assembly Hall in the former refectory of the Augustinian Monastery in Brno. This was later converted into a state administration building, known as a dicastery. The design paraphrases a painting by F. A. Maulbertsch found in the Hofburg Assembly Hall in Innsbruck.","short_description":"A template for a ceiling painting presents the apotheosis of the reign of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. The symbolism is not limited to the iconographic level. Light is a major content-shaping element. The picture paraphrases a painting by F. A. Maulbertsch found in the Hofburg Assembly Hall in Innsbruck.","type":"Painting","holder":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","owner":"Moravian Gallery, Brno","initial_owner":"Count Mitrovský?","dates":"After 1794","location":"Governor’s Palace, Brno, Moravia","dimensions":"H: 53.7 cm; w: 102.7 cm","place_of_production":"Moravia","provenance":"Dolní Rožínka Chateau","obtention":"The picture comes from the property of the Counts Mitrovský in the Dolní Rožínka Chateau. It passed to the Brno Picture Gallery in 1949.","bibliography":"Vlasta Kratinová, Winterhalderovo Oslavení rozumu, *Bulletin Moravské galerie v Brně* 39, 1985, pp. 8–­­10.  \nIvo Krsek, in Ivo Krsek –­­ Zdeněk Kudělka –­­ Miloš Stehlík –­­ Josef Válka, *Umění baroka na Moravě a ve Slezsku*, ed. Zdeněk Kudělka, Prague, 1996, p. 561, cat. 268.  \nJiří Kroupa (ed), *Dans le miroir des ombres.* *La Moravie a la age baroque 17**60–1790*, Brno–Paris–Rennes, 2003, pp. 344–345, cat. 162.  \nLubomír Slavíček, in Friedrich Polleroß (ed), *Reiselust & Kunstgenuss. Barockes Böhmen, Mähren und Österreich,* Petersberg, 2004, p. 239.  \nJiří Kroupa, in Eduard Hindelang – Lubomír Slavíček (eds), *Franz Anton Maulbertsch und Mitteleuropa. Festschrift zum 30-jährigen Bestehen des Museums Langenargen*, Langenargen–Brno, 2007, p. 39.","author":"Zora Wörgötter","copy_editor":"Jiří Kroupa","translator":"Irma Charvátová","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Attribute","dicastery","Enlightenment","modello","mythology","personification","refectory"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"f2ab9cfb-bbce-54c1-b8c6-caafd9c9b90a":{"name":"Saint Christophorus with the Infant Jesus","short_description":"According to Emperor Jahangir's (r. 1014-1037 / AD 1605-1627) inscription, the image of St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus and accompanied by a dog was painted by the court painter Miskin (a pen name meaning \"the humble one\"). Miskin contributed to the codification of the Mughal style and played an increasingly important role in the illustration of the chronicles of the Mughal emperors. He is known for his keen observation of humans and animals. For this work, he probably drew inspiration from European engravings with Christian themes, which were brought to India by Jesuits at the end of the 16th century.  \n  \nThe border with the prominent hazelnut branch was originally part of a larger album project completed under the Persian artist Muhammad Baqir (active Hegira late 1160s-1204 / AD late 1750s-1790) between Hegira 1178 / AD 1765 and Hegira 1183 / AD 1770. Parts of the album with Mughal and Safavid miniatures and calligraphies were rebound for the Qajar ruler Fath ʿAli Shah (r. Hegira 1211-1250 / AD 1797-1834) in the Hegira year 1237 (AD 1822). The individual leaves of this album were sold at auction by Drouot in Paris on 23 June 1982. Other leaves that originally belonged to this convolute known as the Drouot or Baqir album are currently scattered. The leaf seen here has another miniature pasted on the reverse.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Shahram Pahlavi; 2002-2013: Mehdi Metghalchi, London; 2013-2014: Catharina Dohrn, Münsingen","dates":"Hegira around 1010 / around AD 1600 (miniature); Hegira ca. 1180-1185 / ca. AD 1765-1770 (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 33.2 x 20.7cm","place_of_production":"Perhaps Agra (miniature), probably Mashhad (border)","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works by Miskin (miniature) and the borders of the so-calles St. Petersburg album and an album that was auctioned at Drouot's in Paris in 1982.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owners was given by donor.","provenance":"India and Iran","obtention":"Gift of Catharina Dohrn","bibliography":"Britschgi, Jorrit, “Der heilige Christophorus/Ein Bogenschütze”, *Jahresbericht 2014*, Zurich: Museum Rietberg, 2015: 30-34.  \nBrand, Michael, “Miskin”, in Milo C. Beach, Eberhard Fischer and B.N. Goswamy (eds), *Masters of Indian Painting 1100-1650*, Zurich: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011: 167-186.  \nLanger, Axel, “Stories from the Edge: The reconstruction of Islamic painting and calligraphy albums with the help of borders”, in Esther Tisa Francini, with the collaboration of Sarah Csernay (eds), *Pathways of Art: How Objects Get to the Museum*, exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2022: 297-310.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["ink and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"f2c8c673-16bb-5d8a-a1d0-ef90c0a872b5":{"name":"Drawing of Two Fish","description":"In spring 2015, the Swiss National Museum acquired a rare drawing by the Zurich artist Hans Asper (1499–1571). The famous portrait of the Protestant reformer Huldrich Zwingli is another work by him. Here Asper has drawn two species of fish, a trout and an allis shad, and has meticulously captured the detail of their heads. He has signed his work at the right-hand edge and dated it 1540. This realistic drawing is one of the earliest surviving examples of an interest in science that was evolving within the circle around Huldrich Zwingli and Conrad Gessner in Zurich; as such, it is unique in Swiss art history.","type":"Drawing","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Swiss Confederation","dates":"1540","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 18.6cm, W: 30.9cm","method_for_datation":"Signed by the Artist","provenance":"Zurich, Switzerland","obtention":"Bought at an auction in 2015","keywords":["Allis shad","drawing","fish","Graphite","Hans Asper","science","Switzerland","Trout","watercolour","Zurich"],"materials":["Graphite pencil","Watercolour on paper"]},"f2e1525e-6b39-51de-8e19-c3cca74a4562":{"name":"*A Turkish Coffee-House, Constantinople*","description":"Preziosi was of noble Maltese birth, but against the wishes of his family rejected their chosen profession of the law to become an artist. From 1842, until his death forty years later, he lived and worked in Istanbul, renowned for his vibrant and evocative images of all the different races and cultures of that most cosmopolitan of cities. He became for a time well-known in Western Europe because many travellers, (including in 1869 the Prince of Wales) took his pictures home as souvenirs of their visit. Demand for his work prompted the publication in Paris in 1858 of a series of lithographs, Stamboul Recollections of Eastern Life.This is a fine example of Preziosi’s keen observation of contemporary Ottoman life, rapidly sketched yet full of accurately depicted detail.","type":"Watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1854","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"f2f5d2c9-669c-5eb0-99b1-c90588e93519":{"name":"History of Sultan Süleyman","short_description":"The Ottomans were especially interested in the recording of historical events and at the behest of Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), the court historian Luqman compiled this versified account of the reign of Murad’s grandfather, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66). The text is largely concerned with Süleyman’s defeat of Hungary in the summer of 1566, and the illustrations included here depict his arrival before the city of Szigetvar, the destruction and fall of the city and the sultan’s death and funeral. (He died during the siege of the city.) The simple and direct style of these paintings is typical of Ottoman historical illustration.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 987 / AD 1579","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_413/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["army","burial","calligraphy","Europe","fire","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","tent","warfare"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f3955418-aaed-57fc-96f9-18195a4d076b":{"name":"*Atik Valide Mosque*","description":"The majority of Turkish painters in the 19th century were Ottoman officers who had studied abroad. Hüseyin Zekai Pasha was one of those painters. Following his education at the Kuleli Military High School, he continued his studies at the Military Academy (*Mektebi Harbiye*), where he had a chance to learn technical drawing and perspective. His first period was realistic and his pictorial representation includes scenes or events from everyday life. In his first works, Hüseyin Zekai Pasha followed the painting tradition of 19th century, including thin paint dough and light colours. He made changes in his techniques through the Galatasaray Exhibition and eventually he turned into an impressionist whose work was dominated by thicker brush strokes.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sabancı University, Sakıp Sabancı Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"f3ed76b1-bbf6-54cf-8522-0f1b9baf22b6":{"name":"Rich drawing","description":"Portrait of a standing Yezidi woman.","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1800–1820","location":"London","provenance":"Iraq"},"f3f71340-4ba9-56b9-bb2e-aa39656b9630":{"name":"The *Annunciation*","description":"Aside from the *Annunciation*, the *Mass of St Gregory* is one of the most common and important painting subjects in which representations of carpets can be found. Into one of the crucial moments of Christian iconography, artists transposed aspects of the typical Portuguese feminine interior spaces of the 16th century, with the marked presence of the female dais (*estrado*). Its use appears associated with the context of Islamic presence in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.  \nIn this painting, the Virgin Mary appears kneeling on a mat: this, along with other similar representations bear witness to the past presence in Portugal of these types of small carpets that are non-existent in collections today. Such is the case of these “mats”, used during the summer as an alternative to the dense knotted carpets of the winter months, as well as of the tapestries, which alternated in the summer period with the *guadamecis*.  \nThe artist’s decision to include a mat, rather than an Oriental carpet, may be down to the painting being commissioned for a convent of the Order of Saint Claire, where the strict rules called for austerity. This appears in opposition to Gregório Lopes’s painting intended for a wealthy clientele.  \nIn addition, it all goes to prove the absorption and influence of African artistic production in Portuguese contemporary life and art since the 15th century, when mats, but also other objects such as saltcellars and ivory spoons, began to be imported to Portugal from Benin.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","dates":"1515","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 160.5cm, W: 29.5cm","method_for_datation":"Technical information provided by José Alberto Seabra de Carvalho","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis and material dating","provenance":"Portugal, unknown location","obtention":"Transferred from the Convent da Madre de Deus (Order of Saint Claire), Lisbon, Portugal, in 1912","bibliography":"Hallett, Jessica and Pereira, Teresa Pacheco, *The Oriental Carpet in Portugal: Carpets and paintings, 15th‒18th centuries*, Lisbon: MNAA, 2007.  \nCarvalho, José Alberto Seabra, “Madre de Deus Altarpiece”, in Alexandra Curvelo (ed.), *Casa Perfeitíssima 1509‒2009: Celebrating 500 years of the Foundation of the Convent of Madre de Deus*, Lisbon: Ministério da Cultura/IMC/Museu Nacional do Azulejo, 2009.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Ana Kol","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["carpet","Jorge Afonso","painting","Portugal","the Annunciation"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"f445365e-28d3-5b5f-869c-11cd87fe18f8":{"name":"The *Circumcision*","description":"We are witnessing the representation of one of the most important episodes of Jesus’ childhood, in which, according to Jewish law, the Child gains its identity.  \nThe scene has been re-created in the interior of a Renaissance-style temple where the Holy Family and several figures cluster around the table where a priest is about to carry out the circumcision.  \nCovering the altar there is a white towel, in turn, this covers a carpet, of which only the border, filled with “vine scrolls”, palmettes and foliage, is visible. This variant in the use of carpets in a painting makes this a very interesting document.  \nAlongside its use as a floor-cover in paintings, when its symbolism is associated with dignity and spatial boundaries, carpets were used widely as a cover for altars in churches as well as in civil settings as furniture covers, as several Portuguese inventories attest.  \nIn the *Circumcision*, a so-called knotted “Holbein” carpet can be seen. It is put to the same use here as the carpet represented by Hans Holbein, the Younger (1497/8‒1543), in his famous portrait *The Ambassadors*, which thereafter gave this specific compositional structure the name “Holbein”.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Ancient Art","dates":"c. 1550","location":"Lisbon","dimensions":"H: 213.5cm, W: 169cm","method_for_datation":"Technical information provided by José Alberto Seabra de Carvalho","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis and material dating","provenance":"Portugal, unknown location","obtention":"Transferred from the convent absolved in 1834","bibliography":"Hallett, Jessica and Pereira, Teresa Pacheco, *The Oriental Carpet in Portugal: Carpets and paintings, 15th‒18th centuries*, Lisbon: MNAA, 2007.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Ana Kol","translator":"Lily Chadwick","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Annunciation","carpet","Holbein","painting","Portugal"],"materials":["Oil on oak panel"]},"f4692372-1200-55f7-94fd-a3eb2c1d5192":{"name":"*Martyrdom of St. Januarius* (?)","description":"The canvas was acquired by Camillo Borghese in 1818. Critics do not agree on the attribution, although it is acknowledged as clearly belonging to the culture of Southern Italian Baroque. The painting has been attributed to Cesare Fracanzano, a Puglian artist who first trained with Ribera and was later influenced by the artistic currents inspired by Van Dyke. Other scholars have suggested that the work is by a follower of Francesco Fracanzano, the brother of Cesare.  \nEven the identity of the subject, who is undoubtedly a martyr, is not known for certain. Some scholars see the bishop-saint, one of the Fathers of the Church, as Ignatius of Antioch, the third largest and important city in the Mediterranean. The martyr was imprisoned by Emperor Trajan (96–117), who took him to Rome and had him killed by wild animals. In his “Letters”, he was the first person to use the adjective “Catholic” or “Universal” regarding the Church.  \nThe iconography of the saint killed by wild animals is also consistent with the hagiographic account of St. Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, who during the reign of Diocletian (284–305) was condemned to death and tortured on several occasions. Although he escaped unharmed from the wild animals, he was finally decapitated at Solfatara.  \nThe work is characterised by very dramatic gestures, accompanied by the piteous face of the saint. The artist took care to render in minute detail the lines of the face, the hands marked with age, and the emaciated body rent by the teeth of the wild beasts. The dappled fur and facial features of the animals are picked out in an almost exotic style. The colour of the fine cape, now in shreds, is striking and the elegance of the cloth of blue silk and gold is sumptuously rendered.","short_description":"Ignatius of Antioch – who inspired another Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits – is perhaps portrayed here at the time of his martyrdom, killed by wild animals. Ignatius, one of the Fathers of the Church wrote seven “Letters” for the first time in which appear the terms “Catholic Church” and “Christianity”. It could also be the iconography of St. Januarius who was similarly killed by wild animals. The painting is characterised by an extreme theatricality of gestures.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"c. 1635–40","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 99 cm; w: 121 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.158, p. 88–89.  \nBologna, F., *Francesco Solimena*, Naples, 1958, n.19, pp. 126–127.  \nGuarino, S., in *Invisibilia. Rivedere i capolavori, vedere i progetti*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 1992, p. 44.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Christian themes","Counter-Reformation","cult of martyrdom","Dutch painting","exoticism","movement","Neaples","Neapolitan painting","Puglian painters","southern Italy","Spanish painting","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"f4b200cf-1a1b-5c49-9a62-cb9310e74f00":{"name":"Coffee-house","short_description":"Traditionally, social life in the Islamic world revolved around the tea-house or coffee-house, where men would gather to drink tea and coffee, eat sweet pastries or savoury food, and to smoke flavoured tobacco in water pipes (*narghile* or *qalian*). There they would play board games, listen to music and poetry recitations or discuss current events. This scene of a Turkish coffee-house would originally have been part of an album of images.","type":"Single-page painting","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"41.5 x 27.2 cm","provenance":"Turkey","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_439_9/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f54a1f1a-89eb-53ec-92f4-4b04e01290a2":{"name":"Street Language","description":"Faraj Daham’s Street Language (2011) can be used to address the social dimension of Doha’s rapid urban transformation by foregrounding the construction workers who made this development physically possible. The dominant yellow and orange tones evoke Qatar’s intense climate, while the workers’ covered faces and direct gaze draw attention to issues of labour, migration, visibility, and anonymity. Rather than presenting modernisation only through architecture and urban growth, the work invites viewers to consider the human bodies behind these processes. For this reason, Street Language is especially useful for discussing Gulf modernity as a social, economic, and human phenomenon, not merely as a visual narrative of progress.","type":"Painting","holder":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","owner":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"2011","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 180 cm; width: 400 cm; Depth: 4 cm","copyright":"Qatar Museums, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/street-language-qm20170137","keywords":["construction workers","labour","migration","urban transformation"],"materials":["Acrylic paint","Canvas"]},"f57c4704-e5f1-5800-820c-7ce3e7443e67":{"name":"Illustration of a mountain goat  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Nuzhatnama-yi ‘ala’i* (‘ala’i’ Book of Pleasure)","short_description":"This book discusses the characteristics and natures of humans, animals, and plants. The folio on display is from the book’s second section, which discusses quadrupeds, wild animals, and beasts. It includes information on and an illustration of a mountain goat. The clouds above the goat and also the lotus flowers are derived from Chinese art. The book is named for its patron, an 11th-century prince of Yazd, who had the title of ‘Ala al-Dawla.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24.7 x 16.1cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animals","florals","folio","humans","plants","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"f601bc27-5ed9-59a8-af04-fa14ffab1f30":{"name":"*The sufi saint Mian Mir praying at Medina*","short_description":"Mian Mir belonged to the Qadiriyya order of Sufism and spent the majority of his lifetime in Lahore. He was known for his religious tolerance and was revered by both Muslims and Sikhs. Prince Dara Shikoh, who was a key follower, is said to have read the oration at Mian Mir's funeral.  \n  \nHe is shown praying in the courtyard of the Prophet’s mosque, in front of the ‘Garden of Fatima’, with the *rawda* and the green dome above the Prophet’s tomb in the background.","type":"Watercolour painting; Mian Mir; Prophet’s mosque; Medina","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"AD 18th century","location":"London","dimensions":"15.5 x 9.8 cm (painting) in a 19th-century European frame, 42 x 37cm","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 7 October 2015, lot 237.","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","India","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","painting","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion","watercolour"],"materials":["laid down on card","Opaque watercolour on paper"]},"f60adefb-a63f-5390-8b0c-fc7edae265bc":{"name":"*Two Bookcase Doors Depicting Shelves with Music Books*","alternate_name":"*Libreria* (*Bookcase*)","description":"This extraordinary still life is formed by two paintings depicting the shelves of a bookcase. Music books are casually displayed vertically and horizontally. The books are depicted tidy and dense on the upper level and on the lower levels they are untidy, including books laying down. On the lower shelves there are several writing devices: two pen dryers, an inkstand, a bottle of ink, and a bunch of goose-quills. The original provenance of this painting is uncertain: the first documented information is in 1801 when it was moved from the monastery of St Francis to the Liceo Musicale. For a long time, Father Giovanni Battista Martini was thought to be the patron of this painting. He was a great scholar, specialist in contrappunto, and one of the most significant personalities of XVIII century music. Recent studies (A. Mazza in *Le stanze della Musica*) show that the paintings were probably intended as a present for Father Martini, who was younger than the painter. From a careful analysis the inscriptions on the book bindings appear to be posterior to the date attributed to the painting, perhaps to adapt it to the musical culture of a new owner.","short_description":"This extraordinary still life is formed by two paintings depicting the shelves of a bookcase with music books casually displayed vertically and horizontally. The books are tidy and dense on the upper level, untidy, and in some cases lying down on the lower shelves. On the lower shelves there are several writing devices: two pen dryers, an inkstand, a bottle of ink, and a bunch of goose-quills.","type":"Painting","holder":"Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica","initial_owner":"Father Giovanni Battista Martini","dates":"c. 1720/1730","location":"Bologna, Emilia-Romagna","dimensions":"Left door 165,5 x 78 cm; right door 165,5 x 75,5 cm","place_of_production":"Bologna","provenance":"Bologna","obtention":"The painting was part of the collection of Father Martini. It was moved along with his books after the death of his successor, Father Mattei, who saved this precious heritage from the Napoleonic confiscations. In 1801 the collections – donated to the municipality of Bologna – were moved to the suppressed monastery of St. James the Great. From 1804, this was the new Liceo Musicale of Bologna.","bibliography":"Arcangeli, F., “Nature Morte di Giuseppe Maria Crespi”, *Paragone:* 149, 1962, pp. 31-32.  \n*Collezionismo e storiografia musicale Nel settecento. La quadreria  e la biblioteca di Padre Martini* (exhibition catalogue), Bologna, 1984.  \nRave, A. B in *Giuseppe Maria Crespi 1665-1747* (exhibition catalogue) (eds. A. Emiliani and A. B. Rave), Bologna, 1990, p. 170, n. 85.  \n*Le stanze della musica (exhibition catalogue)*, Cinisello Balsamo (Mi), 2002 .  \n*Guida al percorso espositivo del Museo della musica*, Bologna, 2004.","workshop":"Bolognese Late Baroque","author":"Jenny Servino","translator":"Antonella Mampieri","translation_copy_editor":"Lisa Kelman","keywords":["father Martini","Giuseppe Maria Crespi","music","musician","Settecento","Still life"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"f6ca901f-3bd3-50dc-a127-e4b8b089187b":{"name":"*Apotheosis of King Saint Ladislaus*","alternate_name":"Oil sketch for the high altar in the Primatial Palace at Pozsony (Bratislava)","description":"This sketch (*bozzetto*) in oil on copperplate was made for the high altar in the chapel of the archbishop's palace in Pozsony (Bratislava), built by Melchior Hefele. The chapel constitutes the last remaining example of fine Late Baroque art associated with the cult of St. Ladislaus in Hungary. The dome fresco, painted in the same year by Franz Anton Maulbertsch, represents the king striking water out of rock. The artist's intention was to revive the memory of the ruler who alleviated the thirst of his people by performing a miracle. The fresco shows the king on horseback as he performs the miracle, while in the altarpiece painting he is ascending to heaven. According to a legend current at the time, the king arranged for a portrait of Our Lady of Hungary, the Virgin Mary, *Patrona Hungariae*, to be painted on his battle flags. Thus, the white flag unfurling above his head bears the inscription “*S. Maria Mater Patrona Regni*” with an image of the Virgin and the Infant Jesus, much as if the flag was intended as a substitute for a more traditional celestial appearance. In other parts of the painting, St. Ladislaus is offering his crown together with the coronation regalia and the battleaxe, the latter being the king's usual attribute.  \nAdreas Zallinger worked in Pozsony (Bratislava) from the 1770s; he was a pupil and a follower of Maulbertsch, sometimes assisting him in the execution of his work. The sketch illustrated here shows the influence of the Master's late style, his clear colours, silvery light and realistic representation of historic costumes and objects, all of which gradually dominated his work as his earlier passion and artistic inspiration began to leave him.","short_description":"Andreas Zallinger was a member of Franz Anton Maulbertsch’s studio and worked on the decoration of the high altar in the Primatial Palace, Pozsony (Bratislava). This painting of the Hungarian Holy King is devoid of the Baroque vision.","type":"Painting (*Oil sketch; bozzetto*)","holder":"Hungarian National Gallery","initial_owner":"Andrea Zallinger (the artist) or József Batthyány (the Archbishop of Esztergom)","dates":"1781","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 62.5 cm; w: 43.3 cm","place_of_production":"Pozsony (Bratislava)","method_for_datation":"By analogy and a signature on the high altar in Bratislava (Pozsony)","provenance":"The artist or the Archbishop of Esztergom","obtention":"Purchased at an auction of BÁV (Hungarian Commission) in Budapest in 1974.","bibliography":"*The Hungarian National Gallery: The Old Collection*, (ed. M. Mojzer), Budapest, 1984, p. 198.","author":"Miklós Mojzer","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Elizabeth Hoch","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","Andreas Zallinger","Bozzetto","Franz Anton Maulbertsch","Hungarian Holy Crown","József Batthyány","Madonna","Melchior Hefele","Patrona Hungariae","Primatial Palace","St. Ladislaus","Virgin Mary"],"materials":["Oil on copperplate"]},"f6f8d8d6-b9c8-5b6c-870e-0ef02019a256":{"name":"*Moses Striking the Rock*","description":"*Moses Striking Water From the Rock* was a production of the workshop of the Neapolitan painter, Francesco Solimena. Solimena was taught painting initially by his father, the Mannerist painter, Angelo, and was later a pupil of Francesco di Mario of Naples. The well-known artists, Pietro da Cortona and Luca Giordano also influenced Solimena's style. Although he painted mainly decorative, religious and mythological subjects, he also undertook decorative frescos and portraits. His work, representative of the Late-Baroque painting of Naples, reveals Rococo elements, as seen in this religious composition. Solimena ran his own celebrated art school where numerous familiar names of Neapolitan painting were educated. He also designed his own villa and palace.  \nThis painting holds many features typical of Solimena: the dynamism of the composition, the multitude of intermingled bodies within which he manages to show the marked elegance of individual figures who are strikingly illuminated against their brownish shadows to come out of the depths of the composition. The painting depicts the Biblical story of Moses leading the people of Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land. When they arrive at a high rock – which symbolises Christ – the prophet strikes the top of the rock with his staff, and water pours from it. The thirsty people climb the rock to drink the water, in fact, an allegory of the faith and mercy of God. The water here prefigures the “blood and water” that poured from the wounded side of Christ, and refers to the Baptism. In the centre of the composition, Moses stands alongside the rock, water running down to the base. Above, in the clouds, God the Father hovers surrounded by angels. Together they create the culmination of this dynamic composition. The individual figures of men and women of all ages climbing up the steep rock with vessels in their hands are, on the whole, painted from behind and from underneath. The remainder of a somewhat distant landscape is discernable; on the left, an oasis with palm trees and tents, while to the right a few figures running towards the rock against the sky. Although painted in the academic manner, the colours are lively and intense and the figures are individualised and well painted. Solimena spent the whole of his working life in Naples and was one of the most prolific painters of the Late Baroque. This painting, probably produced in his workshop, may be a prototype for a larger fresco or altarpiece.","short_description":"Francesco Solimena's work, representative of the late Neapolitan Baroque, reveals traces of the Rococo. His father, Angelo, gave him his first painting lessons, and he was later a pupil of Francesco di Mario of Naples. The well-known artists, Pietro da Cortona and Luca Giordano also influenced Solimena's style. He was a prolific painter, creating altarpieces, painting frescos in churches and palaces, mythological compositions and portraits. He designed his own villa and palace and had his own celebrated school of art in Naples.  \n*Moses Striking Water From the Rock* takes a low angle, depicting the many figures climbing the high rock out of which Moses struck water. The Bible relates how Moses led his people through the desert to the Promised Land. On the way, they stopped alongside a high rock above which, in the clouds, God the Father hovered. Moses quenching the thirst of the people is symbolic of Christ and religion: the thirsty people climbing the rock are bearing vessels to fill with the water of life. This painting bears all the features typical of Solimena's work. Probably created in his workshop, it was perhaps a prototype for a larger composition.","type":"Painting","holder":"Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum","dates":"Early 18th century","location":"Dubrovnik, Dalmatia","dimensions":"H: 127 cm; w: 73 cm","place_of_production":"Italy","method_for_datation":"Study of the literature, stylistic analysis and comparative material and consultations with eminent art historians.","obtention":"The painting was once in the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik among the works of the old masters. In 1978, the Museum of Modern Art and the Dubrovnik Museums agreed, with the approval of the Ministry of Culture, to give the works of the old masters (16th–19th centuries) to the Dubrovnik Museums, specifically to the Dubrovnik Cultural History Museum. Today the painting is on permanent display on the first floor of the former Rector’s Palace.","bibliography":"Witkower, R., *Art and Architecture in Italy 1600–1750,* Norwich, 1978, pp. 462–65.  \nBadurina, A., *Leksikon ikonografije, liturgije i simbolike zapadnog kršcanstva,* Zagreb, 1979, pp. 410–13.  \nGjukić-Bender, V., *Pinakoteka, Knežev dvor, Dubrovnik,* Dubrovnik, 1988, pp. 67–68.","workshop":"Francesco Solimena aka “Abate Ciccio”","author":"Vedrana Gjukić-Bender","translator":"Graham McMaster","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Altarpiece","Christian themes","Francesco Solimena","Italian Baroque painting","movement","Naples","Neapolitan painters","Neapolitan painting","religious object","symbolism","workshop"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"f85a3c6e-5d92-5e2a-9503-9f763a9619cb":{"name":"A set of two reverse-glass paintings","short_description":"The technique of reverse-glass, or *églomisé*, painting became popular in Iran in the early 19th century, possibly as a result of imports from Europe. In this technique, the paint is applied behind the glass in reverse order, with the highlights and details applied before the background colours. The technique had also been practised in China since the 18th century.  \nBoth the prince and the courtesan are depicted in bejewelled Qajar costume against European-inspired landscapes which are typical of Qajar paintings of the period. The paintings are not signed but have been compared to paintings by Mirza Baba, who may have been responsible for a cycle of reverse-glass paintings in the Marble Throne Hall of the Gulistan Palace in Tehran.  \nThe carved and richly painted frames, with their bird-and-dragon openwork scroll borders, are contemporary.","type":"Painting; reverse-glass painting; eglomisé; Qajar costume","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Early 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Paintings: 55 x 36.5cm and 57.5 x 39cm; frames, max: 116 x 71cm and 118 x 73.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Iran","bibliography":"Diba L.S., and Ekhtiar, M. (eds), *Royal Persian Paintings. The Qajar Epoch, 1785–1925*, exhibition catalogue, New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, 1998: no.63, pp.212–3.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Iran","painting","Qajar","watercolour","wooden frames"],"materials":["executed in the reverse-glass or églomisé technique","in contemporary carved","painted and gilded wooden frames","Watercolours on glass"]},"f85a994c-93f5-5c2e-a133-5f14f1826395":{"name":"Reverse painting on glass: Al-Malik az-Zahir Baibars","short_description":"A famous heroic epic painted on glass is played out in Palestine in 1260. The great moment for the former slave, al-Malik az-Zahir Baibars, arrives when he inflicts the first defeat on the Mongols. In the same year, Baibars, by now Sultan of Egypt, begins to gradually shut down the final strongholds of the Christian crusaders in the Levant; not so much due to religious zeal, but rather to eradicate \"the Franks\" as a source of unrest. Essentially, this saviour of Islam would lend himself to religious warriors as an icon. In 2005 the television series *Az-Zahir Baybars* is broadcast in Syria. The programme avoids, however, any religious instrumentalisation of the material. Given the religious furore in the Arabic world and beyond, the television series transmits a remarkable message: Muslims and Christians, in spite of their chequered and difficult historical relationship, are supporters of the same civilisation; both are called upon to contribute together to its continued existence.","type":"Painting; religion","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"Ca. 1900","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"H: 42cm, W: 33cm","method_for_datation":"Entry in the general inventory and archival documents.","method_for_provenance":"Entry in the general inventory book.","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Catalog entry: \"Purchased from Dr. Franz Pernegger, Bad Ischl, 1993.\"","bibliography":"Steinmann, Axel, \"Heroic Stories\", in Christian Schicklgruber (ed), *Weltmuseum Wien, exhibition catalogue*, Vienna: Weltmuseum Wien, 2017: 110-113.","materials":["glass","pigment","Wood"]},"f88cd52e-27ec-5aee-beba-ea252bcda254":{"name":"*Gunsmiths at the Palace of the Alhambra*","description":"This painting, entitled 'Gunsmiths at the Palace of the Alhambra, Granada' is a romantic, Orientalist phantasy designed to pander to the taste of 19th-century Europeans fascinated by the palace complex in particular since the publication of Washington Irving's 'Tales of the Alhambra' after his stay in Granada in 1828, and that of the British artist and designer Owen Jones, entitled 'Plans, Elevantions, Sections and Details of the Alhambra',  published in twelve parts between 1836 and 1845. Owen's work in particular, with its numerous precise architectural drawings and detailed speculations regarding the Alhambra's original colour schemes, was to exert a revolutionary influence on the European artists of his time, and there is little doubt that the Italian artist Filippo Baratti, too, consulted Owen's work in elaborating his painting's colour scheme, depicting especially the stuccoed walls in hues familiar from Owen's reconstructions.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"1875","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Undetermined","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"f915f9d0-bd72-560a-a96c-be1703627823":{"name":"*Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife*","description":"The painting is a variation of the fresco painted by the artist in the Palazzo Mattei in Rome in 1615. Unlike that work, the figure of Potiphar's Wife is naked and the colours are based on tones of red and ochre. The different hypotheses advanced by scholars include the possibility that it is an approximate replica of the Mettei fresco completed for Scipione Borghese. During the pontificate of Paul V, the artist received a series of extraordinary commissions, including the decoration of the Loggia delle Benedizioni in the Vatican Basilica, and part of the frescos in the Sala Regia in the Quirinal. These were followed by commissions from Cardinal Scipione himself, such as the decoration and fresco at Villa Mondragone in Frascati near Rome, and the vault of the loggia at Villa Borghese.  \nThe canvas shows a well-known episode from the Old Testament (Genesis, 39, 7–18) extolling the chastity of Joseph, courted by the wife of Potiphar, the head of the Pharaoh's guards. The woman, offended by Joseph's rejection, is left holding his tunic in her hands when he escapes; she accuses him unjustly and has him thrown into gaol. During his imprisonment, Joseph becomes known for his ability to interpret dreams and is freed immediately.  \nThe highly contrasting *chiaroscuro* and the Caravaggesque ascending layering of colour, associate the painting with the work of the painter Simon Vouet in the 1630s.  \nJoseph's almost running pose and the foreshortening of the raised right hand are particularly noteworthy. A contrasting sense of movement is provided by the body of the woman, who will not release him and is pulling in the opposite direction. She is fully illuminated by a beam of light that leaves Joseph's face almost in shadow. Skilful compositional knowledge is evident in the essential nature of the elements, which emerge from the darkness in a notably theatrical style.","short_description":"It is Lanfranco who carries out one of the first examples of Baroque painting in Rome for Cardinal Scipione: *The Council of the Gods* in the loggia of Villa Borghese. The biblical theme represented in this painting celebrates the virtue of chastity. The canvas, a replica of the fresco in Palazzo Mattei in Rome, is a play of light with, clearly, theatrical inspiration.","type":"Painting","holder":"Borghese Gallery","owner":"Italian State","dates":"1615–1620","location":"Rome, Latium","dimensions":"h: 101 cm; w: 153 cm","provenance":"Borghese Collection","obtention":"The Borghese Collection was acquired by the Italian State in 1902.","bibliography":"Della Pergola, P., *Galleria Borghese. I dipinti*, I, Rome, 1955, n.88, p. 53.  \n*Invisibilia. Rivedere i capolavori, vedere i progetti*, exhibition catalogue, Rome, 1992, p. 31.  \n*Giovanni Lanfranco. Un pittore barocco tra Parma, Roma e Napoli*, exhibition catalogue (Parma, Naples and Rome), Milan, 2001, cat. 13, pp. 122–123.","copyright":"Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.","author":"Sofia Barchiesi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["chiaroscuro","Christian themes","French painting","movement","Simon Vouet","symbol","theatre"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"f939b530-8866-5fba-afa5-e436e2211419":{"name":"Rich drawing","description":"Portrait of a standing male Yezidi from Sinjar. Claudius Rich made observations and drawings not only of sites but also of people. Early travellers often studied the customs and costumes of local peoples, as well as drawing landscapes or mapping territories. There was no such thing as a professional archaeologist yet.","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"c. 1800–1820","location":"London","provenance":"Iraq"},"f9621cce-b1fe-5a6b-aacc-7619a5c057f3":{"name":"Painting","short_description":"Miniature painting on silk depicting a princely couple in the company of attendants, variously bejewelled and opulently dressed in gold-decorated and fur-lined very long-sleeved cloaks.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira late 9th century / AD 15th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Central Asia; Iranian World","keywords":["Chinese motifs","Figurative representation","Persian miniature painting","Timurid art","Timurid painting","vegetal representation"]},"f9ed44c8-8799-58bf-be2f-32f20262a305":{"name":"*The conquest of Sidon by Austrian troops, September 27th, 1840*","description":"During the oriental crisis of 1840 – as a result of the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire – a mixed squadron of British, Turkish and Austrian ships under the command of British Admiral Sir Charles John Napier (1786–1860) bombarded the city of Sidon on September 26th. The next day, allied Austrian and British troops landed and conquered Sidon. Josef Schönbrunner, an Austrian illustrator and restorer who was an alumnus of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, duplicated the original by Leander Russ (1809–1864) in a very dignified way.","type":"Painting","holder":"Austrian Military Museum / Institute of Military History","dates":"1902 (Signed and dated: \"Josef Schönbrunner 1902\" | \"nach L. Ruß\")","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"fbf36d0e-1c98-5536-895f-1b9eff88b55c":{"name":"*The Place du Gouvernement in Algiers*","description":"Albert Marquet spent 1904 and 1907 in the company of Fauve, and in 1913 he lived in Tangier with Matisse and Camoin. Seven years later in 1920 he visited Algiers for the first time, and went on to spent a few months there every year henceforth. He also lived in Algiers for the duration of the Second World War. Marquet was friendly with most of the artists from the Algerian school, and exhibited his paintings in galleries in the centre of town. Many of his paintings were on the theme of Algiers' harbour. In 1939, his friends from the Salle Bordes organised his first solo exhibition. His style, which was characterised by the luminosity and clarity he saw in North Africa, was an important early influence on the Algerian painter Mohamed Temam.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"c. 1920","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"fc5cf82e-fd47-55f6-908a-6658587f1353":{"name":"*Khamsa*","short_description":"Illustrated folio depicting the *Mi\\`raj*, or transport of the Prophet Muhammed to Jerusalem on the mount Buraq, from the *Makhzan al-Asrar*, the first of the epic poems constituting Nizami's *Khamsa*.","type":"Poetry manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Iranian world","keywords":["Illustration","Iran","mi'raj"]},"fc95a324-d1b6-5cb0-852e-73608ea38c07":{"name":"*Marco Polo in front of the Khan of Tartars*","alternate_name":"*Marco Polo davanti al Gran Khan*","description":"Tranquillo Cremona studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice and then at Brera Academy in Milan. He is considered the “grand bohémien of Italian painting”. This painting was the artist’s first public success. He was fascinated by history paintings and Hayez’s manner as shown in his placement of Marco Polo in front of the Khan of Tartars.  \nThe artist’s hope to join the Italian embassy – which never happened – was the reason for his interest in the oriental theme. In the ideal recreation, oriental ideas, which were internationally shared, are linked to neo-gothic themes which were fashionable in Italy from the beginning of the 19th century.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"1863","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"fc9b70c5-0250-5dad-903a-92b40e149fb7":{"name":"*Triumphal Procession of Charles V Duke of Lorraine*","description":"The signature on this work is of an unknown artist. The composition is similar to that on a series of tapestries in Nancy, France, depicting the recapture of Buda, which saw an end not only to 150 years of Ottoman rule in Hungary but also to a long period of anti-Ottoman fighting. The event was represented in a series of contemporary graphic works, tapestries and paintings, but the painting illustrated here is a lesser known work.  \nThis allegorical painting represents the fictitious triumphal entry into Buda of Charles Duke V of Lorraine (1643—1690). Set against representations of Hungarian towns that played an important role in the anti-Ottoman campaigns, the triumphal coach of the duke, who was held up as a hero for his recapture of Buda from the Turks in 1686, is surrounded by flags. Also around the coach are allegorical female figures, and on the triumphal arch are statues of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and Pope Innocent XI.","short_description":"This allegorical painting depicts a fictitious triumphal procession of Charles Duke V of Lorraine into Buda. Lorraine was held up as a hero for his recapture of Buda from the Turks in 1686. The painting makes use of antique imagery and iconography.","type":"Painting","holder":"Budapest History Museum","dates":"1694","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 98.5 cm; w: 159 cm","method_for_datation":"On the basis of historical data","obtention":"Purchased from an art dealer in Budapest between the two world wars.","bibliography":"Rózsa, G., *Budapest* *régi látképei. 1493–1800* (*Old Vedute of Budapest 1493–1800)*, Budapest, 1999, p. 187.  \nBardi, T., “A 'Respublica Christiana' diadala falikárpitokon. Lotharingiai V. Károly herceg fiktív diadalmenete Budán, 1686-ban” (“The Triumph of the 'Respublica Christiana' on Carpets: The Fictitious Triumphal Entry of Charles V Duke of Lorraine into Buda in 1686”), *Tanulmányok Budapest múltjából* , XXXIV, Budapesti Történeti Múzeum, 2009, pp. 7–32.","author":"Beatrix Basics","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Allegory","Buda","Charles V Duke of Lorraine","Emperor Leopold I Habsburg","Holy League","Ottoman","painting","personification","Pope Innocent XI","Tapestry","Turkish wars","Turks","warfare"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"fcdce33b-73b5-5f44-b815-567a60b30ab7":{"name":"The Welcome to the Italian Delegation in Morocco","alternate_name":"*Ricevimento dell'ambasciata d'Italia nel Marocco*","description":"Stefano Ussi lived between Florence and Rome and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence before enrolling as a volunteer in the first Italian War of Independence, during which he was taken prisoner by the Austrian troops. In 1875 he, along with the painter Biseo and the writer De Amicis, followed a diplomatic delegation to Morocco. The painting represents the solemn meeting in Fez between the Alauita sovereign and the Italian delegation from the Consular Office in Tangier. The bright colours and the treatment of the young Sultan appealed to Italians viewers. This episode was masterly described by the writer De Amicis in his book “Marocco” published in 1876.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM)","dates":"c. 1879","location":"Rome","provenance":"Italy","copyright":"Copyright image: Soprintendenza alla Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.","author":"Marina Minozzi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"fd2a384c-3dc1-5711-b73d-c141912a1a62":{"name":"Manuscript of *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries)","short_description":"Made for Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1264–1313 AH/1848–96), the manuscript *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries) consists of one hundred and nineteen calligraphic pages, each with ten lines of gold-sprinkled *nasta‘liq* in the hand of Shukrallah Nameh-Nigar. The name of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar is mentioned on the page preceding the last one in the manuscript, and his portrait is painted on the central medallions on the front and back exterior covers. The binding reflects the combination of tradition and modernity during the Qajar period. It features the customary composition of scrolling vegetal motif in gold on a dark background wedded to European-style portraits of the shah.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Dated Shawwal-Dhu’l-Qa‘da Hegira 1310 / April–May 1893","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"11.3 x 18.2cm","provenance":"Tehran, Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["calligraphy","figure","manuscript","Portrait","vegetal motif","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","lacquer binding","Opaque watercolour"]},"fd83d0b9-980c-5d81-b47c-74aa8931e4de":{"name":"Iskandar killing a dragon","short_description":"The miniature, cut from a manuscript, illustrates an episode of Ferdowsi’s epic *Shahnameh*, in which Iskandar kills a dragon through trickery, by making it swallow an ox hide stuffed with naphtha. The scene unfolds in a landscape with a cliff in the background, under the bewildered eyes of three characters dressed in seventeenth-century costumes, featured above a fortress gate.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Height: 12cm, Width: 10.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Probably Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 2008.","bibliography":"Dunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 114, no. 54.","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["dragon","Iskandar","Shahname"],"materials":["Gouache","ink and gold on paper"]},"fd93f758-39d0-53bd-b0d1-b105ee918d94":{"name":"*Trompe l’œil* with Pious Pictures of *St. Philipp* and the *Virgin Mary*","description":"Elias Mögel was active in Pozsony (Bratislava). His family background is unknown; the first piece of information about him is his wedding in 1751. His last will and testament was written in 1779 and announced on 12 June 1786. His earliest, signed, still life dates from 1760, the latest from 1784. Mögel would have known the Swiss branch of *trompe l'œil* painting through the circle of Johann Gaspar Füssli (1706–1782). The Quodlibets of the writer and professor of drawing in Zürich already carry an unmistakable intention of a popular and artistic education; all that might be of interest to one wanting to appreciate art seems to be present in this picture and its pair: etchings and engravings of all possible techniques, paintings, different types of paper and materials find their place on a trimmed piece of illusionistically painted wood.  \nMögel's paintings served in the improvement of general taste while also evoking a pious disposition. The illusory painting creates a milieu for the depiction of the saints and thus the printed pious paper-pictures, having been popular since the Middle Ages, were advanced here to works of art while at the same time they continue a century-long tradition of religious still life painting. The pair of this painting, conserved in the Bishop's Palace in Vác, is a *trompe l'œil* with engraved pictures of *St. Barbara* and *Salvator Mundi* (after Piazzetta) fixed with an iron nail, and accompanied by a paper with text referring to the Saint.  \nMögel also painted profane *trompe l'œil* pictures and imitated the Dutch genre painters as well. His signed picture kept in the Xantus János Museum in Győr was inspired by Rembrandt's pupil, Frans Bol; his two small genre scenes in Sopron were modelled on Gottfried Schalcken's works. The scenes of the Card players and Pipe smokers in Andrássy Castle in Krasznahorka (Krásna Hôrka) are reminiscent of Adriaen Brower's pictures. A series of six character-head studies, also kept there, may be attributed to him conditionally, as can the *trompe l'œil* of a collector's cabinet in the Museum of Červený Kameň.","short_description":"Mögel, who worked in Pozsony (Bratislava), was a master of *trompe l'œil*. This work together with its pair imitated engravings representing pious paper-pictures that had been popular since the Middle Ages.","type":"Painting (*trompe l’œil*)","holder":"Bishop’s Palace (Museum of the Diocese) in Vác","initial_owner":"Bishop of Vác","dates":"1773","location":"Vác, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 64 cm; W: 44.5 cm","place_of_production":"Pozsony (Bratislava)","method_for_datation":"Signed lower right: Elias Mögel pinxit 1773","provenance":"Bishop of Vác","obtention":"Bishop of Vác","bibliography":"Mojzer, M., (ed) *The Metamorphosis of Themes: Secular Subjects in the Art of the Baroque in Central Europe,* exhibition catalogue, Budapest, 1993, p. 397.  \nPetrová-Pleskotová, A. “K životu a dielu maliara Eliasa Mögela”, *Ars,* 1998, 1–3, pp. 202–213.","author":"Anna Jávor","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Judit Pokoly","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Adriaen Brower","Count Andrássy","devotional painting","devotional print","Elias Mögel","Frans Bol","Gottfried Schalcken","Johann Gaspar Füssli","Madonna","Piazzetta","popular art","Pozsony","Pressburg","Rembrandt","Salvator Mundi","St. Barbara","Vác"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"fdae7b92-4bc6-5157-9b5e-a4cfe7c51307":{"name":"*The Ambulance*","description":"Sava Henţia was a Romanian painter who studied in Rome and Paris. During the Romanian Independence War (the Russian-Ottoman war of 1877–1878), he was one of the four Romanian painters who accompanied the Romanian army on the front with the purpose of depicting scenes from the war. However, he did not only dedicate himself to painting, but also worked as a volunteer for the Romanian Ambulance Service. In the foreground of the painting The Ambulance, some Romanian doctors are attending Ottoman soldiers, while in the background can be seen medical tents of the Red Cross.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Romanian History","dates":"1877","location":"Bucharest","provenance":"Romania"},"fec8780a-ff2e-551c-aafa-af473f5f2afe":{"name":"Untitled","description":"This work by Abdullah Hamas, a Palestinian painter, expresses the urban interconnectedness between the holy cities of Jerusalem, Medina and Mecca. By tying these sacred geographies together along a diagonal axis, Hamas recreates the intertwined  nature of those holy cities and the movement between them as expressed in the original purpose of the Hijaz Railway. The axis, in this sense, reconstitutes a new imagined railway connected centres  of urban sacrality in the Hijaz and Levant.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","owner":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"2010","location":"Amman","dimensions":"Height: 123 cm; width: 148 cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/abdullah-hamas/#artwork-1","keywords":["Axis","Hijaz Railway","Holy Cities","Jerusalem","Mecca","Medina","Urban Sacrality"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"ffa8bb2b-6412-5238-b1e9-19ae24e65029":{"name":"Parting scene","description":"On St. Berchtold’s day in 1801, the family gathered around Johann Caspar Lavater’s deathbed and said their farewells to the famous pastor of St. Peter’s church in Zurich. He died on January 2, 1801 of a gunshot wound received from a French soldier in September 1799 whilst trying to help soldiers injured during the capture of Zurich by General Masséna. His wife Anna Schinz, his brother Diethelm, his two daughters Anna, (the elder) with her husband Georg Gessner, and Louise, and son Heinrich Lavater with his wife Anna Barbara Ott are all gathered by his deathbed.","type":"Painting","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Swiss Confederation","dates":"Around 1801","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 51cm, W: 61cm","method_for_datation":"Documents","provenance":"Zurich, Switzerland","obtention":"The Lavater-Collection was received as a gift in 2008","keywords":["Antonio Orazio Moretto","Lavater","painting","Parting Scene","Zurich"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]}}