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The Rose and the Nightingale

Earthly and Divine Love in Late Persian Art

  • Date iconJuly 18 2023 - March 2 2024
  • Curator: Liza Lurie
  • Designer: Jonathan Canetti
  • Spertus Gallery

A visually captivating exhibition, the first of its kind in Israel, sheds light on Iranian Qajar culture of the 18th and 19th centuries through depictions of idealized beauty, love, and erotica. The objects on display encompass large portraits, mythic sculptures, exquisitely crafted personal items, and much more, drawn from the Israel Museum’s holdings and from leading collections worldwide.

A special chapter presents an iconic video installation by renowned Iranian artist Shirin Neshat on the subject of the feminine voice, as well as works by other contemporary Iranian women artists that draw inspiration from the Qajar period. This rich, resonant cultural array conveys the tension between earthly and divine love and the dialogue between masculinity and femininity in Iranian national identity, ceremonies, and daily life.

 

Tile with an image of a courtier holding a falcon and a musician
Iran, second half of the 19th century
Painted frit under a transparent glaze The Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Bequest of Yohanan ben David, London  
Seated veiled woman with pearls, 1890–1900
Exhibition copy from glass photonegative
Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C.: Myron Bement Smith collection
Mirror case with flowers, birds, and butterflies
Isfahan, Iran, 19th century
Papier-maché, painted, gilt, and lacquered
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Bequest of Yohanan ben David, London
Portrait of princess with a bouquet of flowers
Iran, 1815
Attributed to celebrated court painter Mihr 'Ali or one of his students
Oil on canvas
Castre Museum, Cannes
Cover of the book Yusuf and Zulaikha
Isfahan, Iran, 19th century
Papier-maché, painted, gilt, and lacquered
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Bequest of Yohanan ben David, London
Architectural element adorned with a pair of lions
Iran, late 19th century
Marble
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Gift of Ayoub Rabenou, Paris
Museum Admission Tickets catalog