An illustrated and illuminated album page: A Tattooed Youth Reclining, Persia, Safavid, circa 1640, with calligraphy by Muhammad Halim

gouache heightened with gold on paper, uncoloured background with a landscape sketched in gold, bordered with colours and gold, outer orange margins with gold scrolling decoration, reverse with a quatrain in large black nasta'liq script, foliate corner pieces, with outer blue margins filled with interlacing gold vines 

In generally good overall condition, minor paint loss to figure's robe, border decoration slightly rubbed, reverse calligraphy slightly smudged and rubbed, remnants of tape and paper at edges of album page, as viewed.
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Reclining youths such as the present painting are relatively rare in comparison to the many extent Safavid portraits of the same period depicting standing and sitting figures. However, Reza-i 'Abbasi is known to have painted a number of reclining ladies including 'Sleeping Woman' and 'Reclining Nude' (see S. Canby, The Rebellious Reformer, London, 1996, pp.28-32, nos.7 and 8). In this instance, the tall languid figure props himself up on his elbow leaning against cushions, studying the tattoo of a triangular cluster of dots on his left forearm.

A parallel can be drawn between this painting and a drawing by Muhammad Yusuf, one of Reza-i 'Abbasi's successors, offered in these rooms 24 April 2013, lot 69, of almost identical size. In both works the figures recline on very similar cushions, one leg crossed over the other, amid flowers and shrubs. Though the figures are leaning in opposite directions, their garments are comparable, as are their general proportions.