Artwork
Page from the Poem of Beauty and Love
Page from the Poem of Beauty and Love is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is a painted page resembling an illuminated manuscript cover, featuring black ink script set against a luminous gold field.
About this work
Overview
The work is a painted page resembling an illuminated manuscript cover, featuring black ink script set against a luminous gold field. Each line of text is bounded by a thin blue stripe, while a subtle patterned border frames the composition. A small red mark appears near the lower right corner, adding a discreet accent to the overall design.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains verses titled “Poem of Beauty and Love,” suggesting a lyrical dedication to aesthetic and affectionate themes. The formal arrangement of the lines and decorative separators imply a reverent presentation, likely intended for a distinguished recipient, such as a member of the aristocracy, to convey both literary and visual prestige.
Technique & Style
Executed with meticulous brushwork, the artist applied black ink for the calligraphic text and employed gold leaf or pigment to create a radiant background. Thin blue outlines delineate each line, while the border incorporates delicate patterned motifs. The palette is restrained to gold, black, beige, and a hint of red, reflecting a refined, courtly aesthetic.
History & Provenance
The format and luxurious materials indicate the page was produced as a special commission, probably for a princely patron. Its survival as an individual sheet, rather than part of a bound volume, suggests it may have been displayed or gifted as an ornamental object, preserving its function as a decorative literary artifact.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Calligraphy (verso)
Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Calligraphy Framed by an Ornamental Border with Poppies and Pairs of Birds (verso)
Calligraphy (verso)
Illuminated page (verso), from a Panj Ganj (Five Treasures) of Abd al- Rahman Jami (Persian, 1414–1492) with two Persian masnavis: Yusuf va Zulaykha (Joseph and Zulaykha) and Khirad-nama-i Iskandari (Alexander’s Book of Wisdom)
Illuminated page (verso), from a Panj Ganj (Five Treasures) of Abd al- Rahman Jami (Persian, 1414–1492) with two Persian masnavis: Yusuf va Zulaykha (Joseph and Zulaykha) and Khirad-nama-i Iskandari (Alexander’s Book of Wisdom)
Page from a Panj Ganj (Five Treasures) of Abd al-Rahman Jami (Persian, 1414–1492), with two Persian
masnavis: Yusuf va Zulaykha (Joseph and Zulaykha) and Subhat al-abrar (Rosary of the Righteous) (verso)
Page from a Panj Ganj (Five Treasures) of Abd al-Rahman Jami (Persian, 1414–1492), with two Persian masnavis: Yusuf va Zulaykha (Joseph and Zulaykha) and Subhat al-abrar (Rosary of the Righteous) (verso)
Calligraphy of a Pious Invocation in Rhyme (verso)
Text of Rustam and Suhrab, from the Shah-nama of Firdausi (Persian, c. 934–1020) (verso)