Drawing with Flowers, Butterflies, and Insects

This sensitively rendered composition is signed by the artist Shafi' 'Abbasi, who worked at the court of Shah 'Abbas II (r. 1624–66) and was the son of renowned figural painter Riza-yi 'Abbasi (active ca. 1585–1635). Unlike his father he focused on nature, launching the botanical genre, which remained popular well into the nineteenth century. Although mainly known for his drawings and paintings, Shafi' 'Abbasi created floral renditions that were also used in textile designs.

This watercolor depicts butterflies, bees, and beetles hovering around a rosebush and what appears to be a snapdragon or aconite plant. The composition was likely inspired by European botanical prints circulating in Isfahan at the time. The elaborate inscription in nasta'liq script at the bottom consists of a poem followed by the artist's signature and the date. The signature includes the word ab-u-rang, Persian for "water-color," referencing the medium. The lyrical verses above it are highly metaphorical. They liken the lover's yearning for the beloved to geometric forms (the dot, the circle, and the line) produced by such tools as the compass (pargar) and the peg (mismar), and the artist's composition to a flower that he hopes viewers will carry to his resting place after his passing.

Inscription: The verses refer to Sufi love poetry alluding to geometry and its tools (the line, the dot , the circle and the compass (pargar) and peg (mismar) in nasta'liq script followed by signature of the artist and date. The work is described by the artist as a watercolor (ab--u-rang in the inscription). It is signed "the humble Shafi' 'Abbasi" and dated Sunday, Muharram A.H. 1059/A.D. 1649–50

(Maryam Ekhtiar, March 2021)

هر کجا نقطه شدند خط پرگار شدم هر کجا دایره زد غم دل مسمار شدم
بوی یار من از این سست وفا می آید گلم از دست بگیرید که از کار شدم


در روز یکشنبه شهر محرم الحرام سنه ۱۰۵۹ آب ورنگ کمینه شفیع عباسی

Whereever there were dots, I became a compass
Whereever there was a circle, I became the peg at its heart
The aroma of my beloved comes from this disloyal one
Carry these flowers [to my resting place] when I pass

Acquired by owner in 1960's from an antique shop in Tehran. Brought to the States in 1980 or 1981.

[ Art market, Tehran, Iran; until 1960s]; Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (Iranian), Tehran and New York (1960's–d. 2019; gifted to MMA)