The tragic love story of Shirin and Khusraw is the Persian equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. Shirin’s father encourages Farhad, Khusraw’s rival, to cut a road through an impenetrable mountain; if he is successful, he will offer him his daughter’s hand in marriage. Fueled by passion, Farhad works day and night and nearly completes the seemingly impossible task. Shirin’s father then dupes the lovesick man by sending an old woman to tell him that Shirin has died. Grief-stricken, Farhad jumps to his death. Below, Shirin mourns his unfortunate and tragic death, while the old woman covers her face in shame.
Details
- Title: Shirin Mourning Farhad's Death
- Date: c. 18th century
- Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: image: 11 x 7 in. (27.9 x 17.8 cm); sheet: 13-1/2 x 10 in. (34.3 x 25.4 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Vineet and Floretta Kapoor
- Accession Number: P.2003.06.2
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Museum
Object Information
Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection
- Norton Simon Museum, 2004-04-02 to 2004-09-06
Exceptionally Gifted: Recent Donations to the Norton Simon Museum (2002-2008)
- Norton Simon Museum, 2009-04-17 to 2009-08-31
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