Shapur I with Roman Emperors
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Ink |
| Current Location: | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Location History: | According to the Baron de Bode, Louise de la Marnierre (1781-1840), often mentioned as Madame de La Marinière, presented it to Muhammad Shah Qajar, presumably sometime between 1838 and 1840; likely acquired by Rudolf Gelpke (1928-1972) during one of his stays in Iran in 1958, 1960, or 1963-71; after 1972, with Rudolf Gelpke's descendants in Switzerland; purchased by Sam Fogg, Ltd. at Christie’s, London 26 October 2017, Sale 14218, Lot 19; acquired by the Museum in 2019, purchased from Sam Fogg, Ltd., London. |
This painting is of Shapur I with Roman Emperors, taken from the book ‘Persian Travelogue: A Diary of a Journey through the region of Fars.’ The manuscript was made by Louise de la Marinierre, who was French tutor to the Qajar princes in Tabriz. The writing was done by the scribe Ali Akbar, and the drawings were done by the artist Ahmad Naqqash. Together, they undertook a journey through what is today Fars in Southwestern Iran. They visited the ancient sites of the Achaemenid (ca. 550-330 B.C.) and Sasanian (ca. A.D. 224-651) monarchs that once ruled the land of Persia. The manuscript is an account of this journey, complete with finely made illustrations and detailed texts of the many major landmarks the group came across, such as the ruins of Persepolis and Qasr-e Abu Nasr, the royal tombs at Naqsh-e Rustam and Pasargadae, the rock reliefs at Naqsh-e Rustam, Naqsh-e Rajab, Barm-e Dilak, Tang-e Chogan, Sarab-e Bahram and Firuzabad, and the famous Cave of Shapur near the ancient city of Bishapur in the Zagros Mountains. After completing the journey Madame de la Marinierre compiled it into an illustrated manuscript and presented it to Mohammad Shah Qajar in 1838. This drawing in particular is clearly a depiction of the Sasanian relief carving of the Sassanian King Shapur I having captured the Roman Emperor, Valerian. Shapur I is displayed as tall, proud, and resplendent, sitting on a horse, with a crown on his head, his aura emanating throughout the relief. He is shown as trampling upon the Roman Emperor Gordian III. The captured Roman Emperor Valerian stands meekly beside Shapur I, his hands held together by Shapur I. The Roman Emperor Philip the Arab is depicted prostrated before Shapur I, begging for mercy. The panels surrounding this one are all depictions of the Sasanian retinue. This display of power is depicted in great detail by Ahmad Naqqash, with the Roman and Sasanian monarchs each with their own headgear and distinctly Roman clothing. The clarity and precision of the depiction, with steady, bold linework, make the drawings in the manuscript of extreme archaeological importance.
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