19TH CENTURY PERSIAN SHAHNAMEH PRINT DEPICTING A HEROIC BATTLE SCENE

THIS 19TH CENTURY PERSIAN PRINT, DERIVED FROM THE EPIC TRADITION OF THE SHAHNAMEH (BOOK OF KINGS), DEPICTS A DRAMATIC SCENE OF CONFLICT AND CONFRONTATION, WITH ARMED HORSEMEN, ATTENDANTS, AND A CENTRAL FIGURE ENGAGED IN A MOMENT OF DECISIVE ACTION. THE COMPOSITION IS DENSE AND ANIMATED, WITH EXPRESSIVE LINE WORK EMPHASISING MOVEMENT, TENSION, AND NARRATIVE INTENSITY, CHARACTERISTIC OF POPULAR SHAHNAMEH IMAGERY OF THE PERIOD.

THE SHAHNAMEH, COMPOSED BY FERDOWSI IN THE 10TH–11TH CENTURY, FORMS THE CORNERSTONE OF PERSIAN EPIC LITERATURE, RECOUNTING THE DEEDS OF MYTHICAL HEROES, KINGS, AND WARRIORS. DURING THE 19TH CENTURY, SUCH SCENES WERE WIDELY CIRCULATED IN PRINTED FORM, BRINGING THESE EPIC TALES TO A BROADER AUDIENCE WHILE PRESERVING THEIR MORAL AND HEROIC IDEALS.

EXECUTED IN A RESTRICTED PALETTE ON AGED PAPER, THIS WORK DISPLAYS A DISTINCT FOLK AND WOODCUT-LIKE AESTHETIC, WITH RHYTHMIC LINEAR PATTERNS AND STYLISED FIGURES. IT REPRESENTS A COMPELLING 19TH CENTURY VISUAL INTERPRETATION OF SHAHNAMEH THEMES AND IS A COLLECTIBLE EXAMPLE OF PERSIAN EPIC PRINT CULTURE.