Arcadópolis
Portrait of a Man (attributed)
Reza Abbasi, c. 1600
What you see
At the center of the page, surrounded by frames, a young man stands wrapped in a pale shawl whose fringed end hangs from his hand. His round face looks to the left beneath a brown fur hat with a white crown and a feather. He wears a pale pink robe with small gold motifs, a knotted green sash, a gold dagger at his side and black boots.
The golden brown ground is flecked with gold, darkening beneath his feet like a patch of earth. Around it, the page adds green, orange and beige borders and panels of calligraphy above, below and at the sides. Notice the number written in the top right corner of the portrait and the red inventory number at the bottom.
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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