Lot 95 A SAFAVID PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MAN, THE CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED MOHAMMED YUSEF AL-HUSAYNI, 17TH CENTURY
Gouache heightened with gold on paper, depicting a young man dressed in flowing blue robes, cinched at the waist with an orange sash. He wears a golden-brown shawl or outer garment embellished with delicate floral motifs and a white turban atop his head. Standing with poise, he holds a book or small object in his hands, his gaze turned slightly to the left. The figure is framed within an ornate arch and surrounded by Persian calligraphy in nastaʿlīq script. The composition is laid down on an album page, its margins richly adorned with scrolling floral designs.
Signed: Raqam Mohammad Yusef al-Ḥusayni Text: 26 × 14.5 cm Page: 30 × 19.5 cm
Catalogue Note: Mohammad Yusef the Painter was a prominent artist of the Safavid period and a distinguished member of the Isfahan school. A pupil of the celebrated Reza Abbasi, Mohammad Yusef is credited with the Shahnameh of Rashida. He is often mentioned alongside his contemporary Mohammad Qasem, suggesting a close collaborative relationship between the two. The Windsor Shahnameh—also known as the Shahnameh of Qarachaqay Khan—comprises 148 or 149 miniatures, all attributed to Mohammad Yusef and Mohammad Qasem, with the exception of the first two illustrations. The stylistic resemblance between the miniatures of this manuscript and those of the Shahnameh of Rashida has led scholars to conclude that both works were likely produced by the same artistic hands.