A Muharram scene
1807
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1807
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Muharram scene is a 1807 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a procession of people carrying models of tombs made of bamboo and paper. This painting shows a Muharram ceremony, which is a big deal for Shiah Muslims. They do it to remember Hasan and Hosein, who were important to their faith. The ceremony is still done today. This painting can help you learn more about the techniques used, like chiaroscuro, which is an artistic method using strong contrasts of light and dark to create a sense of volume.
This Company painting from 1807 depicts a Muharram procession, showing Shiah Muslims commemorating Hasan and Hosein, grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad, through the carrying of bamboo and paper tazias—models representing the tombs of the two martyrs. The scene includes sword play in the foreground, and the work was once owned by Gilbert Eliot-Murray-Kynynmound, the first Earl of Minto, who served as Governor-General of Fort William during the same period.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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