Artwork

Farhad Carrying Shirin and Her Horse, from a copy of the Khamsa of Nizami

Farhad Carrying Shirin and Her Horse, from a copy of the Khamsa of Nizami is a watercolor painting by the Persian Miniature artist Unknown. It dates from 1485 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Created in 1485, this opaque watercolor on paper depicts a dramatic rescue from the Persian romance of Farhad and Shirin.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1485, this opaque watercolor on paper depicts a dramatic rescue from the Persian romance of Farhad and Shirin. The composition shows a man bearing a woman and her horse across a meticulously arranged garden, its foliage rendered in vivid reds and pinks. The work is part of a manuscript copy of Nizami’s Khamsa and is presently conserved at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates a pivotal moment in the legendary love tale: Farhad, the devoted craftsman, lifts Shirin and her mount to carry them to safety. The garden setting, with its orderly rows of blossoms, underscores themes of fertility and protection, while the act of bearing another conveys devotion and heroic sacrifice central to the narrative.

Technique & Style

Executed with opaque watercolors, the artist employed fine brushes to delineate each leaf, petal, and strand of the horse’s mane, which is highlighted by subtle gold highlights that catch ambient light. The palette remains strikingly saturated, and the precise rendering of botanical details reflects a meticulous, miniature‑painting tradition common in Persian manuscript illustration.

History & Provenance

The painting originates from a later copy of Nizami’s Khamsa, a celebrated collection of five epic poems. Though the manuscript’s broader history is not fully documented, the work entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it is displayed as an example of late 15th‑century Islamic book art.