This powerful stallion with its oddly drawn head and broad forehead deviates from the sixteenth– and seventeenth–century norm of Persian steeds with long, elegant necks and large hindquarters. Instead it conforms to the eighteenth century images of the dappled grey horse of Nadir Shah, the Zand ruler who sacked Delhi in 1739 and led many campaigns against the Ottomans. This horse has the same small nostrils and ears as Nadir Shah's horse.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Portrait of a Stallion
Date:18th century
Geography:Attributed to Iran
Medium:Ink on paper
Dimensions:H. 5 in. (12.7 cm) W. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
Classification:Codices
Credit Line:Gift of Stephen Bourgeois, 1914
Accession Number:14.84
Portrait of a Horse
This stallion striding to the left without a rider or groom or any accoutrements save a bridle is surely one of the most striking and unusual of all Persian drawings. His dappled coat, a favorite with artists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, seems to be ahead of its time in its impressionistic treatment. The deep chest, massively muscled neck, and strong back, pulsing with life, take form in the mastery of this drawing. It is, however, in the head of the prized stallion that its own individualistic qualities are most manifest. The overwhelming impression of a palpable presence would suggest that this is a portrait drawn from life, were it not for the unusual, if not distinctly peculiar, treatment of the head.[1] The portrait of this magnificent horse was most likely commissioned by a doting patron or may even have belonged to an artist-cum-courtier himself, perhaps a gift from his royal patron.
[Swietochowski and Babaie 1989]
Footnotes:
1. For a discussion of artists' life studies, see the Introduction in this volume, pp.7–8.
[ [Léonce] Alexandre Rosenberg, Paris, until 1913; cat., 1913, no. 155; sold to Bourgeois]; Stephen Bourgeois, Cologne (1913–14; gifted to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Persian Drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 13–December 31, 1989, no. 17.
Ricci, Seymour. Catalogue d'une Collection de Miniatures Gothiques et Persanes appartenant à Léonce Rosenberg. Paris: Montassier et Odend'hal, 1913. no. 155, p. 46, ill. pl. XXIII.
Swietochowski, Marie, and Sussan Babaie. Persian Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. no. 17, pp. 44–45, ill. pl. 17 (b/w).
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