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Parda Painting Depicting the Battle of Karbala

early 20th century
Not on view
This monumental canvas depicts scenes from the battle of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (the third Shi'i Imam and Ali's grandson) and his family at the hands of the Sunni caliph Yazid in the Karbala desert in 680 CE. This is considered a defining moment in the history of Shi’ism and in the eventual schism between the Sunni and Shi‘i branches of Islam.

Canvases like this example were used as backdrops for the recitation of the story of Husayn's martyrdom. They were portable; the reciter or pardadar would nail them to a wall of a building and point to the relevant scenes as he recited the story. The narrative unfolds from left to right. The reciter's expressive, performative telling of the story is meant to elicit an emotional response from the audience as they hear about the agonies suffered by Husayn's followers in the scorching Kerbala desert.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Parda Painting Depicting the Battle of Karbala
  • Date: early 20th century
  • Geography: Made in Iran
  • Medium: Oil on unstretched canvas (rolled)
  • Dimensions: H. 72 in. (182.9 cm)
    W. 131 in. (332.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Lisa Robins Pauze and family, in memory of Betty Dashew Robins and Arthur J. Robins, 2026
  • Object Number: 2026.275.16
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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