"Ceasar Captive Before Shapur II", Folio 543r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp

Aqa Mirak|Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

1530–35 · Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Shah Shapur went to Rum disguised as a merchant, but was recognized at Caesar’s court and thrown into prison. Caesar then invaded Iran, causing havoc. A sympathetic young man helped Shapur to escape to Iran, where he gathered an army to take revenge. He captured Caesar but spared his life, castigating him for his evil actions. Aqa Mirak, the last director of the Shahnama project, has minimized the number of figures to heighten the dramatic tension between the protagonists

Artist

Aqa Mirak|Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

Date

1530–35

Medium

Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970