Artwork
The First Adventure of the White Horse, Page from the Khan Khanan's Razm Nama (Book of Wars)
The First Adventure of the White Horse, Page from the Khan Khanan's Razm Nama (Book of Wars) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1616 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as the Razm‑Nama, or Book of Wars, illustrating a battle scene titled “The First Adventure of the White Horse.” It portrays a group of mounted and foot soldiers amid a rocky, watery landscape, rendered with vivid hues that emphasize motion and drama.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a procession of warriors, many in brightly colored dress, some wearing helmets and brandishing weapons. A prominent figure in a red tunic holds a sword, drawing attention to a likely heroic or narrative focal point. The surrounding terrain of cliffs, trees and water situates the conflict within a dramatic natural setting.
Technique & Style
Executed with miniature painting techniques typical of Persian court manuscripts, the page combines fine brushwork with a rich palette of reds, blues and greens. The figures are stylized yet expressive, their poses arranged to convey kinetic energy. Spatial depth is suggested through layered rock formations and a receding water body, a hallmark of the era’s illustrative conventions.
Context
The Razm‑Nama was compiled under the patronage of the Safavid or early Qajar courts, documenting historic and legendary battles. This particular illustration reflects the tradition of visualizing martial exploits for royal audiences, serving both as a record of valor and as decorative enrichment of the manuscript’s narrative.
Artist & collection
Ghatotkacha and three demons in his company chase Bhagadatta, from Bhishma-parva (volume six) of a Razm-nama (Book of Wars) adapted from the Sanskrit Mahabharata and translated into Persian by Mir Ghiyath al-Din Ali Qazvini, known as Naqib Khan (Pers
Page of disasters, from the Tarikh-i Alfi (History of a Thousand Years)
The third suitor strikes the devotee’s daughter and thus restores her to life, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twentieth Night
Vabhruvahana Approaches Arjuna, page from the Khan Khanan's Razm-nama