Miniature: Youth with a lute

1594 - 1595

Sharaf al-Husayni al-Yazdi

Paper, gouache, gold (pasted on rose carton)

The miniature reflects the artistic methods of the Kazvin School, as suggested by the elongated proportions of the figure of the youth, the fine features of his rounded face with high eyebrows and the very detailed depiction of the clothing. Note the white horse on slender legs with blue hoofs, the brocade horsecloth and golden saddle covered with very delicate patterns: all of this is rendered in a manner typical of the Kazvin School and its striving for refinement and elegance.

The personage depicted on the miniature is often seen in 16th century manuscript illustrations amidst a multitude of other secondary personages. He is a footman who accompanied his lord on his travels. The clothing of footmen underwent change in the course of centuries, but several of their distinguishing features remained the same: the short kaftan has a slit in the front, so that the under clothing appears like an apron; he wears stockings and soft shoes.

This Hermitage miniature is most likely an enlarged detail from a multi-figure composition or a sort of 'quotation' from the work of a famous artist. Moreover, the depiction of the footman on a separate sheet takes on an importance of its own: in an unconstrained setting, while resting, the youth is engaged in music making on a lute. This interest in depicting personages not belonging to the higher ranks of society has been remarked by researchers as a peculiarity of the Kazvin School and as one of the tendencies developing in the second half of the 16th century.