Artwork
Feramorz relating he story of the Peri
Feramorz relating he story of the Peri is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist James Stephanoff. It dates from 1822 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
James Stephanoff’s watercolour *Feramorz Relating the Story of the Peri* (1822) depicts a small theatrical tableau set within an enchanted forest. A reclining woman in white, a standing figure in pale pink, a lute‑playing man in red, and a crowned bearded observer compose the central group, while luminous trees and a banner bearing the word “JUNIT” frame the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a narrative moment drawn from folklore or myth, with Feramorz presumably recounting the tale of a peri—a spirit of Persian legend. The weary, white‑clad woman appears to be an audience member, while the surrounding characters embody the act of storytelling, underscoring themes of enchantment and the transmission of oral tradition.
Technique & Style
Executed in transparent watercolour, the work employs a muted palette of pinks, reds, and soft greens that lend the forest a dreamlike ambience. Delicate washes define the foliage and light, while the figures are rendered with fine line work, allowing the fabrics to appear weightless and the overall scene to hover between reality and imagination.
History & Provenance
Stephanoff first completed the piece in 1822. Four years later, a drawing of the same subject was entered in the Old Watercolour Society’s exhibition under catalogue number 277, indicating the artist’s continued interest in the motif and its reception within the early‑19th‑century British watercolour community.
Artist & collection
