Iran, Safavid period, early to mid 16th C Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper 2002.50.6 cat 118 The recumbent lioness is the subjet of several drawings and paintings of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. With slight variations, the feline is shown collared and tethered in a relaxed pose. Stippling, or short lines are typicaly used to convey contours and mass as well as coat texture. Here, fine lines and dots of reddish brown, black and white have been applied over the ivory-colored paper. Around the lionesse's muzzle, ear tips, belly and rump, white opaque watercolor has been introduced, contrasting with the lines and dots and suggesting depth. Eyes, color and chain are accented with gold. Now mounted on a sheet of modern paper, this drawing lacks a signature or attribution but can be linked through a sequence of closely related works to a prototype by the renowned Timurid artist Kamal al-Din Bihzad (d. 1535-36)
aperture=f2.8 focal length: 60.0 mm exposure 1/40 sec ISO: 2000