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Isfandiyar slays Arjasp, the king of Turan, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 934–1020)

Haidar Kashmiri

1602

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque History Painting

Dominant colour

Isfandiyar slays Arjasp, the king of Turan, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 934–1020) is a 1602 unspecified by Haidar Kashmiri, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Haidar Kashmiri
When & what style?: 1602 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a warrior in gold armor stabbing a king on a throne. Blood drips down the blade. Around them, soldiers fight in a palace courtyard. This scene comes from a Persian epic poem written a thousand years ago, but the artist painted it in India. The tiny details—like the flowers on the king’s robe—show how Mughal artists mixed Persian stories with their own style. To see more paintings like this, look up Mughal India, Indian art.

The story of this work

Overview

This illustrated scene occurs early in the narrative of Isfandiyar, who is destined to serve as king of Iran with Rustam as his champion. The episode describes Isfandiyar’s quest for vengeance against the tyrant Arjasp of Turan, who had defeated his father in battle and taken his sisters captive. Isfandiyar disguised himself as a merchant, entered Arjasp’s fort, and then fought his way to the enemy king, whom he defeated in battle. The artist has included beautiful and delicate details of the garden and architectural setting of this gruesome scene. An onlooker below puts his finger to his…