"Prince Feasting on a Balcony", Folio from the Davis Album

Prince Being Feasted on a Balcony

The agreeable pursuit of eating fruit and drinking wine while reading poetry, playing music, holding philosophic discussions, or just dallying amorously is set forth by this artist with evident enjoyment. Lovingly observed and meticously depicted are the various fruits and the assemblage of royal containers made of ivory, jade, glass, ceramics, and metal, some inlaid with precious stones. The handling of texture, color, and form is accomplished; the bald man in the foreground hunched over his books illustrates these qualities, from the fur collar with its palpable fuzziness, to the coat, white with the faintest of red designs suggesting brocade, which follows the curl of the back and reveals a glimpse of crimson lining. The foaming bubbles and widening rings of the water of the pool made by the splashing fountain have been captured with equal skill. The workmanship of this and painting 30.95.174.27 (no. 129 in this volume) is exceedingly fine as evidenced by the solidly built up layers of pigment with a palette of subtle, harmonious colors.

Marie Lukens Swietochowski in [Berlin 1981]

Theodore M. Davis, New York (by 1914–d. 1915; bequeathed to MMA)

Berlin. Museum für Islamische Kunst, Pergamonmuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. "The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the M.M.A.," June 15, 1981–August 8, 1981, no. 130.

"Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York." In The Arts of Islam. Berlin, 1981. no. 130, pp. 304–5, ill. p. 305 (b/w).