Arcadópolis
Officer of the Guards
Reza Abbasi, c. 1622–1624
What you see
A young officer stands full-length, his head turned to the left. His blue turban wraps a golden cap topped with plumes, and two black locks fall beside his cheeks. He wears a lilac coat open over a buttoned pale green tunic, with a colorful sash at the waist, and holds a curved sword in its black scabbard against his body.
The ochre ground is covered with faint golden plants, including a tall one on the right. The colors are soft and flat, and the long, curving lines of the coat mark its folds. Notice the gold hilt of the sword, the black inscription on the left and the cream border with its flowering vine.
About Reza Abbasi
Reza Abbasi (c. 1565–1635), also called Aqa Riza, was the leading artist at the court of Shah Abbas I, who gave him the honorary title “Abbasi” in 1603. Although he also illustrated manuscripts, his specialty was single pages for albums, with one or two elegant figures drawn in a flowing, calligraphic line. He signed and dated many of his works, and his style influenced many later Persian painters, such as his pupil Mu'in Musavvir and his own son, Shafi Abbasi.
More by Reza Abbasi
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