Safavid Period
Date: mid-17th Century
Isfahan, Persia
Artist: attributed to Muhammad Qasim
Materials and technique: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions: 13 x 21.5 cm
Kept in Harvard Art Museum/Arthur M. Sackler Museum
Sources: [1],[2]
نقاشی اروتیک هوسرانی عشاق - دوره صفوی - موزه هنر دانشگاه هاروارد
To view a larger version, please click on the image. Safavid kings were generally patrons of art, and many influential artists lived at this period. This particular painting is a rare example of erotic art in Safavid period in which the woman is pictured in a more exposed fashion than her male lover. This work is kept in Harvard Art Museum. Not much information is known about the artist, but it is likely that this painting is the work of Muhammad Qasim. The painting is in the form of traditional Persian miniatures [3] with a touch of European influence. To me, the lovers' eye contact is rather interesting and sensual.