Omar Khayyam 1957

Hossein Behzad made this illustration, Omar Khayyam, using ink and watercolor on paper. The color palette is pretty tonal, but it really hums with warm shades of brown, orange, and pink. I love the texture Behzad achieves with the ink, especially in the rendering of the tree trunk, and the slopes in the background. The ink looks almost granular. The orange leaves are each meticulously rendered in their own unique shape. When I look at this painting, I am most drawn to the figure of Omar Khayyam himself, leaning against the tree trunk, eyes closed, as though he is in a dream. Behzad was deeply inspired by classical Persian painting, but he created his own style, and he’s known for reviving miniature painting in Iran. You might compare him to someone like Gustav Klimt, who was also heavily influenced by Persian art and design. It reminds us that art, at its best, is an ongoing conversation across time and place.