Description:

A MAN AND HIS LOVER, 19TH CENTURY, QAJAR
Persia, 19th century

Description:
Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper; a tender Qajar miniature depicting a romantic interaction between a male & female figure. One is seated on his knees offering a flower, while the standing figure gently accepts, gazing affectionately downward. Both figures are dressed in richly patterned garments and adorned with sashes, turbans, and accessories, executed with refined brushwork and a soft colour palette. The intimate composition is set against a faintly gilded foliate ground, framed by gold, green, and red rulings within a deep lapis mount.

Dimensions:
35 x 23.5cm

Comparable examples:

  • Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 42, Qajar miniature of two lovers in a garden, £5,250 

  • Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 22 November 2022, Lot 96, Persian romantic painting, 19th century, £4,845 

  • Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 April 2018, Lot 104, Qajar painting of male couple in courtly setting, £6,875 

Note:
Romantic themes between young men were frequently depicted in Persian art and literature, especially during the Qajar period when notions of beauty, affection, and poetic companionship were idealised. This folio reflects the era’s sensitivity to emotional expression, capturing the refinement of Qajar draftsmanship and the courtly ethos of love and elegance.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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